Burning
by LizzeXX
Summary: Arthur/OC - Morgana chose to go with Morgause and, despite that, Merlin is frantic with worry for his love even after she returns. His sister, Marayna, is also dealing with many challenges by the name of Arthur...and his father. What will happen as Uther's hold on the crown slips? What will the siblings do...when someone discovers their magic? Third in the Draconian Prophecies.
1. The Tears of Uther Pendragon - Part 1

A/N: Hi! Lol, welcome to the third story, Burning, of my Merlin Series the Draconian Prophecies :) I would recommend any new readers take a look at the first two stories (Sparks and Flames), to understand the relationship my OC, Marayna, has with Merlin and Arthur and also Merlin's relationship with Morgana ;) I've written some other stories for Doctor Who, Supernatural, Sherlock, Star Trek, and Thor for anyone who might be interested ;) This story will follow the episodes but will also have an original chapter between most of them (except 2-parters) :)

This story should be about 23 chapters long and updated daily. This is also be an Arthur/OC (Merlin/Morgana, Gwen/Lancelot) story ;)

A quick description of the OC, Marayna is a tall, slightly gangly woman, with a bit of curly black hair. Her eyes are blue, like Merlin's, with the same cheekbones, smile and other features, as he's her brother ;) She seems to think her mouth is a bit small (despite how mouthy she is lol) and her eyes are a tiny bit unlevel with each other. She tends to wear a red dress, now, at the start of this story, more like a plain red dress with hints of her white underdress peeking out by her shoulders and sleeves. She hates dresses though and wishes she could wear her favored tunic and leggings as she trips quite a bit on her dress due to family clumsiness. For a reference, to help in visualization, I picture the OC to look something like Natalie Dormer :)

I hope you enjoy :)

~8~ is a scene break.

"_italics_" are spells.

'_italics_' is telepathic talk between magic users.

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin...or we'd have seen more of Merlin using his magic to poke fun at Arthur than we did :)

~8~

The Tears of Uther Pendragon (Part 1)

Merlin and Marayna followed Arthur through a battlefield, well, what _looked_ like a battlefield to them. To Arthur though, it just appeared more a group of guards of some sort, a very large group, that had attacked them, probably by bandits, and paid the price. Marayna didn't bother to pick up the hem of her dress any more than she'd need to walk without tripping on it. Gwen, without Morgana around to dress up and sew for, had gone a bit odd about dressing Marayna up instead. Her new dresses were more a simple, red dress with her white underdress visible by the shoulders and sleeves, instead of her white dress with the red frock she'd used to wear.

"Check for survivors," Arthur called, "Seems their attackers headed north! Come on!"

"Do you think we should be going after them?" Merlin frowned.

He honestly didn't want to be there, not at all. What he wanted to do was go find Morgana, wherever she was, wherever it was that Morgause had taken her, and get her back. It had been more than a year since Morgause had kidnapped the woman...or since Morgana had sacrificed herself to go with her so as to save the whole of Camelot. He'd thought he could handle it at the time, that it wouldn't be so long before they found each other again...but he was nearly at his wit's end about it. He missed her terribly and every day it just became more unbearable to stand there without her there, not knowing what Morgause was doing to her, teaching her. He had nightmares about what might become of his Gana and he felt guilty for all the times he'd shouted himself awake or had to have his sister shake him from a nightmare. He'd taken to sleeping in his room again, now that Morgana wasn't there for him to spend time with. He fully understood the hell that the nightmares must have been for Morgana, his were terrible, but unlike Morgana's that came here and there, his were just...every night near enough. He'd woken his sister on more than one occasion and worn himself ragged trying to learn spells that could help him find her again.

He honestly hadn't known what he was thinking when he'd agreed with Marayna's plan of how to allow Morgana to take the Hemlock, thinking Morgause would save her, even though they knew it was likely Morgause would spirit her away. He'd hoped it would only be mere months, weeks at best, before he saw his love again, but that was not to be. It was a year now, a year Morgana had been left alone with Morgause and he just...he worried for her.

It had even taken its toll on Marayna and Arthur's relationship as she was just as eager to get her returned as Merlin. But that wasn't all, Arthur seemed to empathize with him, with how it felt to be apart from the woman you cared for. Even though the prince's experience had been for a week physically parted from Marayna but quite a long while emotionally separated when they'd had a rather bad moment last year, Arthur could understand. He seemed to almost be trying to be a good friend to his servant, agreeing to go search for even the smallest sign of Morgana, taking them 'hunting' when really it was tracking some sort of witness's claim they'd glimpsed the woman. He tended to keep Merlin closer the last few months than he did Marayna, mostly because...he was worrying as well.

Not only was Merlin the brother of the woman he loved and the beloved of a woman who was like a sister to him...but Merlin was also his friend and, as much as it pained him to say it, it DID bother him to see Merlin look so depressed and hopeless. He tried his best to keep Merlin's spirit's up, he'd even (and Morgana WOULD kill him for it) told Merlin a few stories here and there of his childhood with Morgana. Even though the girl was a older than him, there were plenty of embarrassing stories to go around.

"You are such a girl's petticoat," Arthur remarked, following his knights.

"Ow," Marayna groaned for the hundredth time as she walked, rubbing her bum and wincing.

"Something wrong?" Arthur glanced at her.

She grimaced, rubbing her lower back as well, "I've been on a horse, ALL day."

"Is your little bottom sore?" he quipped, trying to be clever.

He should have known better when Marayna smiled teasingly back at him, "Yes, as a matter of fact, it is. Would you like to kiss it and make it better, or perhaps rub it?"

Arthur sputtered, nearly tripping over his own two feet at her words. Honestly just about four years with the woman and he STILL wasn't used to comments like that. She always managed to surprise him, never letting him know if she was going to be serious or jesting whenever he attempted flirting or teasing her.

"Her bum isn't as fat as yours," Merlin added, gesturing to the two of them, the point being that they were quite thin compared to the muscular prince.

"You know, you've got a lot of nerve for a wimp," Arthur remarked.

"I may be a wimp, but at least I'm not a dollophead."

"There's no such word."

"It's idiomatic."

"It's...what?" Arthur blinked at him, Marayna smirking more.

"He means you should try and be more in touch with people," Marayna told him.

"Describe 'dollophead,'" he scoffed, he'd been called it before, but he highly doubted the word actually meant something, much like Marayna's favored 'clotpole.'

"I bet Merlin can do it in just two words."

"Oh yeah?"

Merlin smirked as well, "Prince. Arthur."

They slowed though when they approached an abandoned camp, clearly the bandits, and investigated the fire that seemed to have been put out only recently. They began to check around, trying to find signs for where the men might have gone, Merlin more trying to see if there might be a sign of Morgana there, as far as that hope might be. A moment later the sound of an arrow whizzed through the air and narrowly missed a knight.

"On me!" Arthur ordered his knights as the bandits attacked.

Merlin and Marayna grabbed their weapon, Marayna pulling the sais out of her boots, Merlin grabbing a long branch as he hadn't been able to bring his staff with him, the two of them helping as much as they could. Over the year, as Uther became more driven to see Morgana returned, they found themselves in more dangers, making more enemies on that quest. Arthur had taken to actually having them trained up a bit in terms of their weapons of choice, the sais for Marayna, the staff for Merlin. Gwen had been restless without her mistress to tend to so, at times, she would help them with their chores, like the needlework for Arthur's mending and the polishing for his armor, which gave them time with the prince to actually practice. It had been slow going as they didn't always have time, what with their chores and with the quest to find Morgana, but they managed. They'd actually gotten fairly decent now, able to hold their own without tricks or getting the opponent to underestimate them...if Arthur used only one hand and kept an eye shut that is, but it was a vast improvement!

Merlin's eyes flashed as he saw a man sneaking up on h is sister and the bandit's sword became heavy, pulling the man backwards with an oomph, crushing his hand beneath the sword so he couldn't move. Marayna turned, smiling at him, before her own eyes flashed, a small tree toppling over onto an attacker behind HIM. They made it to each other's side and tried to get to Arthur...when Merlin tripped. Marayna, thankful she'd tied a bit of her skirt up to the side when she'd pulled out her sais, moved to help him up and they joined hands, throwing their others out and sending a spear flying at a bandit behind Arthur.

The prince spun around to see Merlin on the ground and Marayna in the process of trying to help him up, or so it seemed, "We're not playing hide and seek, Merlin!"

"Dollophead," Merlin muttered as Marayna yanked him to his feet as the last bandit fell.

Arthur held up a hand, hearing a twig snap and fearing there may be more men on the way. He signaled to the knights to be on alert as he neared the edge of a bush…only for _Morgana_ to stumble out of it, her hair wild, her skin pale with small cuts on her arms, her clothes in rags.

"Morgana!" they gasped.

Morgana looked at them with wide, frightened eyes, before they landed on Merlin, "Merlin…" she breathed, before she pitched forward in a faint, Merlin leaping over to catch her.

Marayna glared fiercely at the knights as they shifted, watching the servant stroke the noblewoman's hair and cradle her ever so gently, so much so that they quickly averted their eyes from the display and her look.

"Not a _word_ of this to my father," Arthur threatened the knights, pointing a warning finger at them, startling them with the knowledge that…the two before them were in a relationship and that the prince had been aware of it the entire time. But then they saw him take Marayna's hand and understood, all of them nodding, swearing their silence. They had been the ones to train with Arthur for years, had seen how he acted around his maidservant, half the kingdom probably knew that there was something between them though they tried to be a little careful around Uther.

They'd had NO idea about Merlin and Morgana though, not that they would, the woman had typically stayed in the castle most of the time. But they could see it, the same care that Arthur looked at Marayna with in Merlin's eyes as he tended to the woman in his arms. The truth was, they all rather liked Merlin and they knew, given the different families and sometimes kingdoms they hailed from...that Merlin, with his kindness and his gentle heart, would be a better match for the woman than half the men Uther might try to pair her with. He clearly loved her and would cherish her whereas other men would desire her only for her beauty and the power they'd have from an alliance of that sort with Uther.

~8~

Merlin was pacing in Gaius's chambers, the man having gone to examine Morgana. As soon as Camelot was in sight, Arthur had to, regretfully, take Morgana from his arms, knowing his father wouldn't understand what the knights had. They'd allowed Merlin to carry Morgana on his horse, none of them able to bear asking him to give up his hold on the woman when they saw the look in his eyes and realized...he had clearly cared for her before she'd disappeared, and it had been a year he'd had to spend without her. Arthur wouldn't have wanted anyone to pull Marayna away from him if the roles were reversed, so he'd allowed it as far as he could.

Merlin and Marayna though, had been forbidden, everyone except Gwen and Gaius had, from entering Morgana's chambers as Gaius worked, Uther's orders though.

"Did you talk to her?" Merlin asked, rushing to their uncle's side as soon as he stepped through the door, "Is she alright? Did anything happen to her? Is she hurt? Is…"

"Is she even _awake_?" Marayna had to cut in, smiling though at how frantic her brother was. The sign of true love. She could still remember the flash of fear and pain she'd gotten when she'd seen Arthur on the ground after the griffin attacked, she couldn't fault him for his relief that Morgana was back with them.

"She's sleeping," Gaius assured them.

"Did she say anything about what happened?" Merlin tried again.

"Nothing as yet."

He let out a sigh, "Is she alright Gaius?"

"She'll be just _fine_," Gaius smiled, "Morgause would not have harmed her sister."

He'd told them who Morgause was in relation to Morgana and it still shocked them to that day to know that the two women shared a mother, they were so different, not just in appearance but in personality, in spirit. They feared though, that despite Gaius's claims Morgause wouldn't HARM Morgana, that it didn't mean she wouldn't do other things to the woman to try and get her on her side. She'd already proven she had no qualms with trying to enchant the woman and use magic against her. They hoped though, that her thinking Morgana believed she'd been 'betrayed' and that Morgause had 'saved her' would be enough to keep the woman from trying anything like that again with Morgana.

"Still," Merlin continued, "I wish I could see her."

"As do I," Marayna added, the only, ONLY good thing that had come from Morgana's time away had been that she hadn't been expected to keep up with her embroidery lessons or constantly reminded of her lady-in-waiting training, but that wasn't enough to make the time away from the woman good.

"She should wake by tomorrow," Gaius guessed, "I'm certain she wishes to see you both as well."

~8~

And, sure enough, the very next morning would find them gathered in Morgana's chambers, having been called there by Arthur. Gwen and Arthur were already there, listening to Morgana's story.

"I was kept in a cell for almost a year," Morgana explained, looking more at Uther than anyone, knowing if she looked at Merlin for even a moment she wouldn't be able to look away. Merlin and Morgana caught Gwen's look at that though, the girl shaking her head, signalling that Morgana was lying, "I thought I'd go mad."

"How did you escape?" Arthur asked gently.

"They moved me about a week ago. I don't know why. It may have been the patrol from Camelot."

"The patrol found you?"

"I thought I was gonna be free. But then I saw them killed. Every one of them cut down. But that night, the bandits were distracted by their spoils. I took my chance. When I saw you, I couldn't believe it," she laid back, tears in her eyes, "I think I need to rest."

"Everything's gonna be alright," Arthur told her, moving to leave, needing to report to his father, but also knowing that Merlin and Marayna needed time to welcome her back properly as well and he would not begrudge Merlin that, "You're safe now."

They waited till the door shut before Merlin was at Morgana's side, hugging her tightly as he kissed her deeply, both of them desperate to express their love to the other after being separated for so long, which made Marayna let out a breath, seeing Morgana like that, so tender and loving with her brother made her more reassured that nothing too terrible had happened to the woman. She knew her brother had nightmares about Morgana turning to darkness, she wouldn't say but...she'd had nightmares as well, of Morgana being tricked into thinking she and Merlin had betrayed her, that they'd poisoned her out of evil, nightmares of Morgana breaking her brother's heart, but seeing her like that, clinging to Merlin's shirt, having seen the look in Morgana's eyes when she saw them in the forest before she collapsed...her nightmares were not founded.

Merlin and Morgana were panting when they pulled away, but smiling widely at the other, "I'm so glad you're alright," Merlin breathed, reaching up to brush a lock of hair behind her ear, stroking her cheek with the back of his knuckles.

"Morgana…" Marayna began, moving to kneel at the side of the bed, taking the woman's hand as Merlin put an arm around her, letting her lean on him as Gwen sat at the foot of the bed with them, "What happened?"

She sighed, "Morgause did as I feared she might, tried to make me believe you'd poisoned me on purpose, as though it hadn't been ME who practically demanded it. She tried to twist everything, make me hate Arthur and Camelot and you," she reached out and touched Merlin's cheek, "But she underestimated the love in my heart."

He smiled, kissing her palm, "She was kind to you?"

"Mostly," she nodded, "She DID keep me in a cell, trying to convince me to join her. Little by little, I acted as though I accepted her words, till I told her I would join her," she winced at that, "It was the only way for her to not try other tricks on me, if she thought I'd come to believe in her on my own. And then she taught me magic as we hoped," she closed her eyes, "She tried to teach me such dark magic, but I tried my best to keep it at least neutral. I made her teach me the basics, teach me good magic as well, like healing," she smiled, "I brought up the 'healing' bracelet she had wanted to give me. Said that, if anything happened to her, I needed to know how to help her. She seemed pleased by my 'concern' for her so she taught me. When she started to try and force the darker spells on me…" she swallowed.

"It's alright," Gwen whispered, Morgana having told her everything last night as she tended to her.

"I listened," Morgana admitted, "But while I was taught them, I had a choice on which spells I wished to remember. And I couldn't bring myself to remember or use most of them."

"They were that bad?" Marayna frowned, though Merlin rubbed Morgana's arm in comfort, so...relieved to know she hadn't even been tempted to use such spells.

"Morgause has sworn revenge," Morgana warned them, "She will not rest till she has seen Camelot fall."

"We'll have to keep an eye out for her then," Merlin nodded, leaning over to kiss Morgana once more, "I will_ never_ allow her to take you from me again," he promised her.

Morgana just smiled, finally feeling like she could breathe, feeling safe, feeling truly loved.

~8~

Merlin and Marayna looked up as Morgana burst into the physician's chambers, seeming frantic, not even noticing Merlin standing there with his shirt off, having had to change it after Arthur dumped a bucket of water over him.

"Gana?" he frowned, moving over to her, hugging her tightly, despite his half-naked appearance, just seeing her alarmed about something.

Morgana flushed slightly, to her Merlin was a rather handsome man, even more so now with his shirt off, and especially after having not seen him for a year. She could see the muscles Arthur claimed he didn't have, his arms were stronger, he was warmer than she remembered, but maybe it was just her missing him so. Dreams and imaginings, memory, could never compare to the physical presence.

"What is it?" Marayna stood as Gaius looked over.

"Gaius?" Morgana turned to him, "I need a spell."

"What?" he frowned, startled she was being so blunt about it and knowing for Morgana, who had always been the most cautious, having grown up around Uther, to say such a thing so clearly, it had to be serious.

"I need to know if there's a spell or an oath or _something_ where if I break it…something happens to me."

Gaius blinked, "Why on _Earth_ would you need something like THAT?"

"Morgana, what's wrong?" Merlin took a step back to look at her.

She took a breath, "Morgause, she sent me a letter," she pulled out a note from her pocket, "She only let me go because she thought I was on her side and ready to help her. She's tasked me with…" she swallowed hard, "With helping spy on Camelot for her, with helping her get to Uther. And…" tears filled her eyes, "I agreed," she looked at Merlin, desperate, "I missed you Merlin, so much, I couldn't bear it any longer to be away from you and I just…"

"It's alright Gana," he held her close again, running his hand along her back to soothe her, he understood the pain of their separation more than she knew.

"What does she want you to do exactly?" Marayna frowned.

"I'm supposed to gather his tears," she said, "For some sort of spell that will make him suffer," she shook her had, "I don't know what to do. I don't want to hurt Uther, even if he's a bloody paranoid tyrant, he's still Arthur's father. But…if I don't help…she…she's threatened to attack by force, she's forming an alliance with Cenred and I can't bear the thought of her attacking the kingdom, not after Gwen told me about Kilgharrah…"

They nodded, stumped.

"I needed to know if there was a spell that can prove that, no matter what I do or seem to be doing, that I am loyal only to you," she looked at Merlin, "To Camelot," and Marayna, "To Arthur," before her gaze landed on Gaius, "Please Gaius, is there_ anything_?"

He paused, thinking, "There is ONE spell I know of, a Blood Oath," he began, "It must be resided over by the High Priestess of the Old Religion and be made between two creatures of magic," he looked at the three of them, "Which we have."

"What does it do?" Marayna hesitated, not liking even the sound of it, how solemn and serious it appeared to be.

"Both parties cut their hands and clasp them," Gaius explained, "One swears something to the other and, if they break that oath, their magic reacts against them and…" he swallowed hard, "They die."

"No," Merlin said instantly, shaking his head as his arm tightened around Morgana, "No, no way."

Morgana, though, frowned, "Merlin do you think I'd BREAK the Oath?"

"NO!" he turned to her, his eyes wide, "No, not at all. I KNOW you won't. I just…Morgana I can't bear the thought of _anything_ happening to you, even if it likely won't."

"Merlin please," she whispered, tears in her eyes as she half-begged him, "I NEED to do this. I need to prove, without any doubt, that I am on YOUR side always. If I play the role of spy, for both sides, helping alert you to what she's doing, I will still have to play the role of helping her. I need to know that there is no doubt which side I fight for, no question of where my heart truly lies," she placed her hand over his heart, "No matter what happens."

He sighed, seeing her determined to see this through, "Fine," he whispered, moving her hand off his chest to kiss it, "Gaius," he looked at his uncle, "How do we do it?"

Gaius merely reached out and picked up a knife he'd just been using, cleaning it off, making sure it was sanitized on a candle's flame, and handed it to them, "Cut your palms," they did, "And press them together," he watched as they held up their hands at each other, lacing their fingers as they pressed their palms together, "Rayna," Gaius turned to her, "Put your hand over theirs and incant 'éaðe drýcræft begíeman þisne áþstæf, 'éaðe drýcræft ágeldan þá hwa ábrecan hit…'"

She nodded, taking a breath as she put her hand over theirs, "_Eaðe drýcræft begíeman þisne áþstæf, 'éaðe drýcræft ágeldan þá hwa ábrecan hit…_" she breathed, her eyes flashing as their hands glowed as well.

"Make your promise Morgana," Gaius instructed.

Morgana took a breath, "I swear, on my magic, on my blood, on my life, that my allegiance lies only with Camelot. I will do all I can to help protect her and to thwart the plots of others that I have knowledge of."

Morgana's eyes flashed, as did Merlin's, a pulse of magic flowing out around them, the energy of it billowing their hair till Marayna let go of their hands and they pulled their hands away from each other to see their cut palms were healed.

"The Oath has been made." Gaius said solemnly, praying to the gods of old that nothing would happen that magic would interpret as Morgana breaking her promise.

~8~

Morgana made her way out of the castle that night, a handkerchief in her hand from where she'd reunited with Uther earlier and he'd wept for her safe return, allowing her the opportunity to brush away his tears. Now she had to deposit it with Morgause. She arrived at a small clearing, seeing a cage, guarded by men, with Morgause stepping out of it and made her way over to her as she was greeted, "My sister. How have you fared?"

Morgana put on a smirk, "Camelot has welcomed back its daughter with open arms."

"Uther does not suspect?"

"He laps up my lies like the snivelling dog that he is," she sneered.

"And the servants?" Morgause eyed her closely, and Morgana knew she was waiting to see how she'd react, another part of her act had been to put on the airs of hating Merlin and Morgana. Morgause would be looking for any sort of hint that she cared for them still, she'd nearly been caught a few times when Morgause found her scrying and watching Merlin. She'd had to lie and say she was plotting the best way to kill him (with kisses she added to herself). The only good thing that had come from that lie was Morgause had helped advance her scrying and gotten her to the level of crystals, which made it easier to hide in her pocket instead of carrying around a basin of water.

It took all she had not to flinch at the mention of Merlin and Marayna, reuniting with the two of them and being so happy and now having to pretend she couldn't care less about them was a challenge, "Merlin and his sister believe I escaped you and was held by bandits."

"You've done well," Morgause smiled, taking the cloth Morgana offered her, seeing the wet marks on it, "The tears of Uther Pendragon have only begun to fall. Come," she led her over to a large cauldron filled with boiling mud and dropped it in, followed by a root of some sort. The root screamed and Morgana flinched, "The mandrake root is very special. Only those with magic can hear its cries. But for those without magic, the magic pierces the very recesses of the soul, twisting the unconscious into the very image of fear and dread. Uther Pendragon will find that his great kingdom counts for nothing when he has lost his mind," she smirked down at the caldron, "_Mid_ _þæm wundorcræft þæs ealdan æwe ic þe hate nime Utheres wopdropan ond þa gemengan mid his blod. Sy he under wittig ond deofol seocnes his heorte afylþ_," she hissed, her eyes flashing before she reached in and pulled out the muddy root, handing it to Morgana, "Go."

Morgana nodded, smirking still, before she turned and headed back to the forest, her smirk fading. She stopped when she reached the horses, seeing a solemn Merlin and Marayna waiting of her, having gone with her at her request, "I don't even like touching it," she whispered, looking at the root in her hand, her stomach churning as she could feel the evil and darkness rolling off it.

"We'll think of something," Marayna promised as Merlin held out a bag for Morgana to drop it into, the three of them knowing Morgause would be watching for signs of the spell affecting Uther and that left them little choice but to use it on the king and pray that, now that they knew what it was, they could find a counter to the spell faster but without suspicion.

~8~

Morgana and Marayna were taking a break from the 'lessons' that had started up once Morgana had returned. Morgana had spoken with Uther over dinner that past night of her wish to resume where she'd left off with Marayna, claiming that sense of normalcy was what she needed to recover despite Marayna audibly groaning from the side of the room in protest...something that made Uther smirk and Marayna feel like Uther's sole purpose in the 'lessons' was to punish her for something. Merlin and Arthur still had no idea what really went on during the lessons, both were under the assumption that she was helping Gwen tend to her, that Morgana just wanted more female companionship. But that wasn't the case at all though Marayna wished it were. Why was Uther spending so much effort on her learning the ways of a noble, she refused to call them 'Queen lessons' as Gwen had jokingly called them. It couldn't be for that though, Uther hadn't lost his mind just yet, he'd NEVER allow a servant to be queen no matter if she could act the part or not.

Right now though they were standing at the open window of Morgana's rooms, watching Arthur on the training field, fighting two opponents blindfolded, "Let's change weapons," he called after he disarmed them literally with his eyes closed...which was how she and Merlin knew they were improving if it took Arthur ONE eye open to best them in their own private training sessions, "What'd you think?"

"I've seen better," Merlin shrugged, smiling, he hadn't stopped smiling really since Morgana had returned, nor had the noblewoman in question.

"Course. Well, you _are_ the expert at fighting with your eyes closed."

"But you didn't see what I did when we rescued Morgana."

"Because you were hiding behind a tree."

"No. I was not," Merlin nearly pouted.

"I'm not going to use the blindfold, I'm just going to fight like Merlin here," Arthur joked, waving his sword around, whimpering, "Merlin, don't hurt me. Ready?"

He started to fight when Morgana smirked, her eyes flashing, the sword magically pulled out of Arthur's grasp as he got hit in the stomach with a mace by another knight, falling face first right into the mud.

Merlin glanced up at the window, seeing Morgana wink at him, his sister having fallen to the ground laughing, and allowed himself a laugh as well.

~8~

They knew immediately when the spell took effect on the king, not long after Morgana had hung the mandrake root up in Uther's chambers. There had been a celebration for Morgana's return, Uther had stepped out a moment…and been found by the guards, crying, crouching at the side of a well, completely off his head. They'd gotten him back to his rooms quickly enough, but the damage had been done.

The guards had seen him.

Arthur had been concerned about that, especially when he learned Uther had been mumbling his mother's name, but Gaius said he seemed to have recovered. They knew better though. The mandrake root was meant to force his guilt to the surface. And Uther…had much to be guilty for. And that was what Morgana reported to Morgause, how the king was going mad, the rumors spreading about his sanity and ability to rule. That was _exactly_ what Morgause had wanted apparently, a kingdom weak without its king, knowing Arthur was too noble to take up the throne while his father was alive, making it perfect to attack.

Unfortunately, they hadn't been able to see Morgana after her meeting. Morgause was very protective of her sister now that Uther was mad and the guards that the woman had brought with her were on higher alert as they stood in the forest. Morgause, despite Morgana's protests, had one of her own guards escort her sister back to Camelot, so they'd been forced to trail behind them, watching, making sure the guard wouldn't try anything.

Well, he hadn't. Not to HER at least…one of Camelot's night watchmen had spotted them, Morgana had tried to warn the guard away but the watchman approached them and the guard attacked, stabbing the watchman. Merlin had reacted instantly, sending the guard flying into a wall, knocking him out before rushing to Morgana and holding her close, knowing she'd feel guilty for the attack.

Marayna had ensured that the guard wouldn't wake till morning, leaving him little time to escape…which made it so that the evidence of the attack would be discovered. If they could inspire the thought of sorcery, Arthur would have a better idea what to look for…as much as they hated it, they needed him to be on the hunt for a sorcerer, for Morgause.

They just had to wait till the body was found as terrible as that was to just leave it there.

~8~

"We've had reports that mercenaries are streaming into Cenred's kingdom," Arthur reported to his father as he stood in the Main Hall before the court, at least now aware of the growing threat.

"Do we know why?" Uther asked, seemingly recovered as he sat stiffly on his throne.

"There is rumor that Cenred is amassing an army. I think we should send a patrol out to assess the situation…" he trailed off, seeing Uther staring_ past_ him, making Merlin and Marayna tense as well, spotting the growing look of horror on the man's face, realizing the mandrake was affecting him again, "Father?" Arthur turned to see what he was looking at, the court doing the same, but nothing was there…

"Oh my god," Marayna breathed, seeing it somehow, seeing what Uther was, she didn't know how, perhaps it was the fact that she could always see things other missed, or maybe it was being the High Priestess, she didn't know. All she knew was that...there was a boy, a child, standing there, soaking wet, staring at Uther accusingly, "It's a little boy…"

Gaius looked at her, alarmed that she was able to see it.

But then Uther stood, pointing at the boy, "Leave me alone. Get out of here!"

"Father, will you..." Arthur turned to him, trying to calm him, knowing the ENTIRE court was there, that they would see...

"I said get out! Get out! I'll have you hanged!" Arthur and Leon ran forward, restraining Uther as the man tried to attack something that wasn't there, dragging him out of the room, "Have you hanged! You...you..."

"It was just a little boy," Marayna breathed as the court started to whisper, "Uncle please don't tell me I just saw…" one of the children Uther remembered murdering.

Gaius sighed, figuring out what it was based on her words, "During the Great Purge, Uther drowned many he suspected of sorcery. And some, God help them, were children, killed for the magic they were born with," he knew that they both were aware of what Uther had done, but...he knew for Marayna to be confronted with an image of it was just terrible, "Maybe his conscience is playing tricks with him. Whatever it is, we can no longer hide this. A king's hold on his people's a very fragile thing. If they start to lose faith in him, I fear for Camelot."

As though it couldn't get any worse...the warning bells sounded.

~8~

Merlin and Marayna stood with Gaius as he spoke to Arthur in the Main Hall later that day, the body of the fallen guard had finally been discovered. And now it was time to tell Arthur about the latest magic threat against him, something Merlin and Marayna were not too keen to have to do, knowing it might harden him against magic more to see his father so openly attacked in such a brutal way.

"The sentry must've been attacked at some point during the night," Gaius told him.

"Who could've done this?" Arthur frowned.

Gaius pulled out the dagger that had been found with the watchman and handed it to him, "That is a sigil of the Bloodguard."

"The Bloodguard?" Merlin glanced at it, they'd just thought Morgause's guards were hired men.

"Warrior priests sworn to protect the…" he glanced at Marayna, "High Priestess of the Old Religion."

Marayna's eyes widened at that bit of information, before narrowing, realizing what that meant, what had happened. AGAIN! She knew she'd only JUST gotten the title of high Priestess, but it appeared it was a title she was always meant to have and yet people _kept_ claiming_ they_ were the High Priestess. First Nimueh, now Morgause...she was starting to get very offended..

"Surely they were wiped out during the Great Purge," Arthur remarked.

"Not all of them."

"So you believe there is a traitor in Camelot."

Merlin and Marayna exchanged a glance at that, traitor was far too harsh a word for what Morgana was doing, she was helping them keep Camelot safe by putting herself at risk of Morgause's anger to let them know the woman's plots.

"It is possible, Sire," Gaius nodded, those his lips pursed, knowing that said 'traitor' was Morgana as well, "The sentry will be able to tell us soon enough."

"He's still alive?" Arthur looked started, as did Merlin and Marayna.

"Indeed," Gaius smiled.

~8~

Merlin, Marayna, and Gaius entered his chambers to find the watchman, lying on his cot, gasping, struggling to breathe, and rushed to his side.

"Gaius?" Morgana called as she knocked on the door, "Rayna? Merlin?" she stepped into the room and stopped short, seeing the guard panting, "What's wrong with him?" she ran over.

"You said he was recovering," Marayna frowned at her uncle.

"I thought he was," Gaius defended.

"Then what's happening to him?" Merlin frowned as the man's eyes rolled back in his head.

Gaius quickly peeled away the bandage by his wound, his eyes widening as he saw dark veins popping up from it, "He's been poisoned."

"Oh my god," Morgana breathed, surprised. She knew that Morgause had taken the Bloodguard as her own, claiming to be the High Priestess, but THIS…she'd poisoned their weapons apparently.

"She's enchanted their weapons,' Gaius sighed, answering Morgana's thoughts.

The watchman struggled to breathe once more before his head lulled to the side and he let out his final breath.

Marayna shook her head, "Why would they even follow her?" she asked, "She's_ not_ the High Priestess."

"Because she doesn't think you claimed the title when you stopped Nimueh," Morgana answered quietly, "She wants others to believe SHE is the High Priestess so they'll follow her. If they knew it was YOU they'd back off Camelot."

"But loads of people already know," Merlin frowned, "Those renegade sorcerers, the Druids, Kilgharrah…"

"But they were sworn to secrecy, knowing if anyone addressed Marayna differently, she'd be revealed," Morgana explained, knowing the Druids had made a pact when they'd felt the stirrings of a new High Priestess and realized who it was, they'd gone after the renegades and gotten them to swear to be quiet as well, "Until you take the title officially and are addressed as such...she's going to proclaim she's the High Priestess and she's powerful enough to fool even the Bloodguard into believing her."

Marayna scoffed, "We'll see about that."

~8~

Later that night, Marayna insisted she and Merlin go with Morgana to her latest meeting with Morgause. They were going to wait till Morgana left the meeting and confront the woman, prove to the Bloodguard she wasn't their priestess, that they'd been tricked, earn their allegiance, hopefully get them to turn on Morgause and stop both her and Cenred.

"Sorry you had to wait," Morgause called as she made her way to Morgana as she waited in a small hollow in the woods, "There was much to discuss."

"But your visit was successful?" Morgana turned to her, trying to seem like she wasn't talking louder than necessary to make sure the others could hear her from their hiding spots behind the trees.

"Cenred's army ride for Camelot on my command," Morgause smiled, not noticing, not wanting to notice likely.

Morgana offered her an 'awed' smile, "There is nothing you cannot do."

Except earn her loyalty, Morgana added silently to herself, despite being her sister...she felt nothing of the sort for the woman.

"It is _you_ that gives me strength, sister," Morgause reached out and took her hand a moment, "How goes the battle for Uther's mind?"

"When Cenred marches on Camelot, he will find a kingdom without a leader," she said, trying to keep her despair at that out of her voice.

"Finally we are ready," Morgause cheered, before frowning, a thought striking her, "And the servants? Do they suspect you?"

"No," Morgana frowned, "I don't believe so."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes, of course," she answered quickly, "Why?"

"Because they're here!" she turned, her eyes flashing as the two were pulled out from behind a tree and fell before her, "Did you _really_ think I was that stupid?" she sneered at them.

'_RUN!_' Morgana called in their minds.

They hesitated a moment but she nodded and they pushed themselves up and ran, the Bloodguard and Morgause following them.

"Stop!" Marayna turned to face the men suddenly, "I command you," she tried to stand as straight as she could, imitating Arthur, her eyes flashing gold and staying that way, blazing in the night with warning.

The Bloodguard skid to a halt, their eyes wide as they looked between the woman before them, the power radiating off her that could ONLY be from the High Priestess, and the woman they'd been serving who had claimed the same title. They fell to their knees before Marayna, their fists over their hearts, making her let out a relieved breath.

'_Thank god that worked,_' she muttered to Merlin in her mind, her brother edging closer to her, shaking his head at how badly that could have gone if it hadn't worked.

"What are you _doing_?" Morgause spat as she entered the clearing, just a moment after the gold in Marayna's eyes faded, but the men stood, glaring at her, and advanced, moving to attack. Sensing something had changed within them, her eyes flared and they were thrown back, crashing into the trees, either knocked out or dead. Her eyes flashed again and bindings surrounded Merlin and Marayna, "You intrigue me," she eyed them, "Why do lowly servants continue to risk everything for Arthur and for Camelot?" she looked at their defiant faces, "You know the answer, but you're not telling me. Why? Come on," she tempted them, "Time and again you put your lives on the line. There must be a reason."

Marayna rolled her eyes, "Ever heard of love?"

Morgause scoffed.

"I believe in a fair and just land," Merlin added.

"And you think _Arthur_ will give you that?" Morgause taunted, "Either of you?"

"He already has," Marayna glared at her, "He's proven himself to be a better man than his father. We _know_ he will be a better king."

"And then what?" she crossed her arms, amused, "You think you'll be his queen or something?" she eyed Marayna, before glancing at Merlin, "Be recognized? Is that it? All this so, one day, you can be serving the king? No," she shook her head, "There's something more. Something you're not telling me, isn't there?"

"We told you," Merlin glared.

_"Well, you can take your secret to your grave," she smirked, "Weorc_ _untoworpenlic_," the chains glowed and tightened, binding them magically, "You chose to poison one of my own. You may regret that."

And with that she stalked off, assuming Morgana had returned to Camelot, not even seeing her sneak out from behind a tree where she'd been waiting.

_"Merlin!" she gasped, rushing to his side, trying a spell, "Abricaþ_ _benda," but it didn't work, she tried again, "Abricaþ_ _benda_!" same result.

"Morgana," he cut in, "You need to get back to Camelot."

"No," she shook her head.

"You_ have_ to," Marayna agreed, "If Morgause finds you here, everything will be lost. Get back, protect Arthur and the kingdom till we get back."

"We'll get out of this eventually," Merlin grinned at her, "You know us, but these woods are dangerous, we need to know you're safe. _I_ need to know."

Morgana frowned, "And I need to know YOU are."

"I'll watch him Morgana," Marayna promised, "The Bloodguard, they know who it is they serve now. When they wake up , we'll get them to free us, but please go."

"Go," Merlin whispered, urging her on.

Morgana hesitated before getting up and running off.

"_Isen fæstnunga onlucan me_," Merlin tried another spell.

"Merlin…" Marayna hesitated, "Do you hear that?"

There was a clicking in the distance, a chittering.

"Serkets," Merlin breathed.

"Well," Marayna struggled, trying to see the good part, "At least it's not rats."

~8~

"Gaius!" Morgana ran into his chambers.

"Ah Morgana," he turned to her with a smile, "Have you seen Merlin or Rayna?"

"That's it," Morgana panted, "Morgause…she's captured them."

Gaius looked at her, his heart freezing at her words, "No..."

~8~

"_Min strengest miht hate þe tospringan_," Marayna tried, but even that failed.

And now they could see the serkets drawing in.

"_Awendaþ eft wansæliga neat_," Merlin cried, trying to throw the serkets back.

"_Forlætan me_!" Marayna incanted, wiggling to try and get free.

Their eyes flashed and a few serkets flew back…but one stabbed Merlin in the back.

"NO!" Marayna shouted, her eyes flaring as the scorpion-thing was thrown back into a tree and didn't get up.

Merlin groaned, before shouting into the sky words Marayna had only ever heard him say when speaking to Kilgharrah last time they'd seen him, "_O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes_!"

Marayna let out a breath of relief when, moments later, the Dragon descended, breathing fire at the serkets, knocking them away and causing them to flee, before picking the two up in his claws and flying off.

To be continued...

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of the story :) I'm VERY excited for this series ^-^

Eaðe drýcræft begíeman þisne áþstæf, 'éaðe drýcræft ágeldan þá hwa ábrecan hit - May magic heed this oath, may magic punish those who break it.

Some notes on reviews (from the end of Flames)...

Thank you all so much for your condolences, it really meant a lot to me :') My uncle was the sort of guy where he didn't want you to be unhappy or sad, and the funeral was full of that sentiment, as much as it could be, so thank you again :')

And a happy birthday to Ceasar-Flickerman! I hope you have a great day and enjoy the second chapter posted for the series ;)


	2. The Tears of Uther Pendragon - Part 2

The Tears of Uther Pendragon (Part 2)

Merlin woke slowly to the feel of someone tenderly wiping his brow with a cool cloth, calling hissed commands quietly and reprimandingly to a deep voice whenever it tried to speak up, quieting it. He blinked slowly to see it was his sister, sitting beside him, Kilgharrah beside her, "I didn't think you'd answer my call," he whispered to the Dragon, his voice hoarse.

"Merlin, I could not resist a Dragonlord, even if I wanted to," Kilgharrah said dryly.

"And I really would kill him if he even tried," Marayna added, making the Dragon chuckle and move his tail closer as though to protect them and ward off the slight chill.

"For that reason alone, I dared not dally," the Dragon jested back.

"Either way I'm grateful," Merlin breathed, looking at the magical creature, "Thank you."

"Oi! Lie still you," Marayna nudged him to keep him from trying to sit up.

"Ow," he shifted back down to where he was lying, "What hurts?"

"The serket's poison is powerful," Kilgharrah told him, "I have taught your sister an enchantment that will help you heal, but while she may be the High Priestess, she is not a natural healer," he chuckled as Marayna rolled her eyes at that, muttering something about rather wanting to cause the wounds on her enemies than heal them, "It will take time."

"I'm going to teach it to Morgana," Marayna added, "She'll get you right as rain in no time at all."

Merlin nodded, lying down completely and exhaling, just...trying to gather his strength to get back to Camelot and Morgana.

~8~

Morgana slowly made her way through the castle, smiling at the guards as she neared Uther's chambers, the men were stationed fairly close to the doors as always. She wouldn't bother trying to draw them away, what she was about to do…she was almost hoping she'd be caught, that they'd hear her and rush in and catch her in the act. She could barely stomach the thought of what Morgause wished for her do, the harm and suffering she was already causing others by placing the mandrake in Uther's rooms as planned. She could hardly keep the bile down as she recalled Uther's horror stricken face. She knew she could have lied to Morgause about Uther's mental state, told the woman he was deteriorating when he was perfectly fine...but Morgause would be watching her. She'd taken care to place small runes around her room, around the physicians chambers as well, that would block Morgause from trying to spy on her if the woman ever did. But she knew that even if her rooms weren't watched, Camelot would be. Morgause, if she didn't hear whispers from the villagers and guards about Uther, would discover her lies and then all her time away from Merlin, all the darkness she'd had to fight off with the memory of his bright smile and caring words and warm hugs and loving kisses would be for nothing. Even now she knew that Morgause was watching the king's chambers, waiting for her to make this move and if she didn't...she had to.

She took a breath as she entered the room, shutting the door behind her before she made her way to Uther's side, the king sleeping peacefully in his bed as it was hardly time for him to wake just yet. She reached down to where she'd hidden the mandrake and picked it up. She swallowed hard, her hand shaking terribly as she wrapped a string around it and closed her eyes tightly, pulling it tight, strangling it…

It screamed a piercing cry and Uther started to sob, terrified, his eyes opening wide but not seeing her, his mind lost in terrible memories.

She could only manage it one more time, one more tug of strangulation, before she let go of it and dropped the root to the floor. She fell to her knees at Uther's side, reaching out to stroke his face, tears in her own eyes as he stared past her, fearful, tears of his own streaming down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, openly crying as she moved to hug him, knowing he was unaware of her presence, "I'm so sorry…"

~8~

"You shouldn't have let me sleep," Merlin grumbled as Marayna helped him sit up, dawn just peeking through the sky.

"You needed it," Marayna told him, poking him in his good side.

"The venom was too strong, even for your great powers," Kilgharrah agreed.

"We don't have time," Merlin argued, "We need to get back to Camelot. The kingdom is in danger!"

"You trusted the witch," the Dragon began, sounding as patronizing as he always did when they didn't listen to him and 'he was right' or some other nonsense, "And trust can be a double-edged sword. You were foolish to trust her and now..."

"We were _right_ to trust her," Marayna cut in, seeing her brother growing steadily more angry with the Dragon, "She's sworn on a _Blood Oath_ her loyalty to Camelot, to Arthur and Merlin, and to helping us _stop_ Morgause."

Kilgharrah's eyes widened at that, "She has?" that was surprising indeed, but then he smiled, realizing exactly what it meant for the witch to give such an oath, what it meant for her magic and her future, "It seems she truly _has_ chosen her path."

"The path of _light_," Merlin nodded, pride pouring into his words.

"I wonder what else you were wrong about," Marayna smirked at the Dragon.

"I am hopeful it is not too much else," Kilgharrah chuckled at that.

"All that aside though, we really DO need to get back to Morgana," Merlin started, before quickly correcting, "To _Camelot_."

"You're not yet fully recovered, Merlin," Kilgharrah shook his head, "And it's more than three days' walk."

This time it was Merlin's turn to smirk, "I've no intention of Aya or I walking."

~8~

Marayna held tight to Merlin as they flew through the sky on the back of a dragon, not something just anyone could say every day, "This is bloody brilliant!" she cheered as the wind whipped around them.

"Whoa," Merlin laughed.

Both of them were thoroughly enjoying the ride…till the Dragon dropped down into a clearing near Camelot, "This is as far as I go," he told them.

"Thank you," Marayna smiled up at him as they slid off his back.

"We won't forget this," Merlin promised.

"Be careful, young warlock, my witch," Kilgharrah warned, "The great battle for Camelot has begun. You must be strong. For Arthur's destiny and the future of Albion lie in your hands."

Marayna just blinked at that, "So business as usual then?"

~8~

Merlin and Marayna burst into the physician's chambers, rushing to Gaius as he laid asleep in hist cot, both of them regretful but needing to wake him up, so they shook him fiercely, "You need to wake up!" Merlin hissed.

"Uncle!" Marayna shoved him harder, doing the trick and rather pleased she didn't have to resort to dumping cold water on him.

"Merlin!" Gaius gasped, sitting up, "Rayna. Thank the stars you're alright," he breathed, hugging them, "Morgana told me what happened but we couldn't go after you with the guards on alert. How did you escape?"

"We don't have time to explain," Merlin shook his head.

"Come on," Marayna pulled him up, "We need to get the mandrake root, we've learned enough from 'spying' on Morgause to know about it by now right?"

Merlin nodded, that had been the reason they were in the forest to begin with. They'd actually LET themselves get noticed by Morgause that last time. If the woman thought they were there, eavesdropping, then she would have to think that they heard about the mandrake root and that they'd immediately destroy it the first chance they got. That way, Morgana was protected from suspicion and they had an excuse to go after the root.

Merlin's plan was brilliant.

"Mandrake?" Gaius frowned, startled at that, startled that they had let it happen apparently, "And you KNEW about it?"

"It's a VERY long story uncle, and we truly do NOT have the time," Marayna reminded him.

"Come on," Merlin led them off.

~8~

Uther's chambers were a right _mess_ when they entered, the entire room torn apart which left them wondering just how the guards hadn't heard the commotion and gone to investigate their king in such a state. Uther was still in the room, sitting back against the wall, in a corner, huddled with his knees to his chest just...staring at the side of the room with the most heartbroken expression on his face. Marayna winced when she glanced over, seeing Ygraine standing there, appearing as though she'd been drowned, just like children surrounding her, begging him to help her.

"Uther?" Gaius ran to him, "Uther!"

Merlin though ran to the bed and pulled the mandrake root out from under it, throwing it into the fire, wincing as it screamed while it died.

"It was an enchantment, sire," Gaius told him as he and Merlin hefted the man up and moved him to the bed, "You need to rest," he poured a bit of the potion he always made for Morgana into a goblet by the bed and handed it to Uther, "Please drink this, sire. It will help you to sleep."

Uther drank it, his eyes wide even as he laid down. The trio exchanged a glance and turned to go...only for Uther to grab Marayna's arm a bit too tightly in his delirium, "No…stay…" he blinked at her, tears in his eyes, "Please. Ygraine..."

Marayna let out a sad breath at that, knowing that the vision of his wife had to have shaken him and the mandrake addled his mind if he thought SHE was Ygraine. She looked nothing like the woman at all yet he'd called her Ygraine. Gaius had mentioned in passing, alluded to, hinted at, implied in conversations here and there that she was something like Ygraine had been, that the woman would have liked her. She could only assume Uther was seeing her sort of spirit as one similar to his late wife's. She REALLY hoped that was the case because she would cringe if it was anything else.

But still...this was _Arthur's_ father, a man truly the most important to Arthur and...he wanted her help. She glanced at her brother and uncle and gave them a nod, taking a stool to sit beside Uther as the two men headed out.

~8~

"You _knew_ about the mandrake?" Gaius frowned at Merlin as they sat in his chambers once more, getting the entire story from his nephew about the dangerous plant that had been affecting the king.

"Morgana led us to Morgause, we heard them plotting," Merlin explained.

"You should have _stopped_ her! I cannot believe Morgana would use such foul magic on Uther…" Gaius shook his head, "If she has broken her oath..."

"She didn't _want_ to," he cut in, defending the woman, "She could barely stand to _touch_ it. But we HAD to Gaius, if she didn't Morgause would be suspicious, if it was discovered before we made Morgause suspicious that we 'knew' about it she'd be even _more_ suspicious. We had to let her catch us the last time so she'd believe that it was THAT that told us about the mandrake and not Morgana."

"But Uther…"

"I don't care about Uther!" Merlin stood, "I care about _Morgana_. And I will _not_ see her in danger for the sake of the king."

Gaius stared at him a long while, his eyes searching the boy...no, the man before him, and nodded, "Go see to Arthur, he was inquiring where you two had disappeared to. I could not answer."

Merlin nodded, thankful the topic had been dropped for now and stalked out of the room, still in a rather foul mood.

~8~

Merlin paused as he entered Arthur's chambers to see it was an entire _mess_, almost worse than Uther's chambers and he knew Arthur didn't have the excuse of the mandrake affecting him, "What happened?!" he demanded, moving to the curtains and throwing them open.

Arthur woke up with a start from the sudden change in light and turned to glare at Merlin, "What happened? I've had to make do without servants, _that's_ what's happened."

He scoffed, "We weren't gone for that long."

"Without my permission."

"What if I was dying and Aya was tending to me?"

"I wouldn't be complaining! But you're not. So where've you been?"

"I was dying and Aya was tending to me."

"I don't have time for this," Arthur grumbled, getting out of bed, "The future of the kingdom rests upon_ my_ shoulders. Do you have any idea what that feels like?"

"Well..." he began, he actually_ could_.

The power of the High Priestess and Archmage were equal in prestige among the magical world. Unlike in Camelot and many other kingdoms where the king and queen were married. The magical realm operated on a different scheme. The Archmage and High Priestess were the king and queen even if they were NOT wed. Marriages like that complicated things in the eyes of the magical community, made for civil wars, for arguing, for bias. He was actually thinking it was on purpose that magic had named him and Marayna, siblings, with those titles. It was easier to balance each other out, to have a bond and loyalty but not one such as marriage, it made for a loyalty grown over years, decades, a kinship and a concern that couldn't be forged in any union like that.

He was technically king of the magical peoples, and they were suffering because of Uther.

"Merlin," Arthur glared when Merlin drifted off, "I should have you and your sister thrown in the dungeons...which would NOT be pleasant for me as Mara would have my head despite my being the prince. So, what've you got to say for yourself? And where is Mara anyway?!"

All Merlin could say to that was, "You've not had your breakfast this morning, have you?"

"I'll have _you_ for breakfast!" he threw something at Merlin, a goblet, but Merlin ducked, "Oh, no wonder this place is such a mess!" and another, a book this time, "Oh, yes, I can see you've got all the makings of a great king," and one more, a rather sharp letter opener, but Merlin ducked out of the room.

~8~

Morgana smiled, breathing a sigh of relief as she made her way to Uther's chambers. She had seen Merlin with Arthur that morning, and was so relieved he'd returned, now she just had to make sure he'd gotten rid of that blasted root. Her smile widened as she entered to see Uther sleeping peacefully, Marayna at his side, putting a finger to her lips.

'_Is he alright?_' she asked the girl in her mind having gotten better at it over the last year.

Marayna nodded, '_We destroyed the root. Morgause can believe we discovered it from when we were caught last._'

'_How is he?_' Morgana moved closer, seeing a strain still on Uther's face.

'_Much better._'

'_Thank god,_' she sighed, '_And Merlin…_'

'_Go find him,_' she laughed, '_He's been trying to find a way to get away from Arthur to see you._'

Morgana smiled and nodded, turning to head out of the room, thankful they were both alright.

~8~

Merlin strode down the halls quickly, on his way to Morgana's chambers, having_ finally_ managed to get away from Arthur…who was distracted by the news that his father was doing better and seeming very pleased that Marayna had been caring for him since that morning...and gone to see his father.

He'd just stepped past an alcove when he felt himself pulled into it.

"Merlin," Morgana breathed, hugging him tightly, "I'm _so_ glad you're alright."

He smiled, kissing the top of her head, "I _told_ you we'd get out of there."

"I know," she rested her forehead to his chest a moment before looking up at him, "But when I didn't see you later that night, I feared the worst. How did you escape?"

"The Dragon saved us."

"Kilgharrah?" she blinked, the last she'd heard he'd flown off, "I thought he fled..."

"Um…" he rubbed the back of his neck, realizing Gwen hadn't told her everything about that night then, "Aya and I made a discovery after Morgause took you."

"What?"

"Our father was the last Dragonlord," her eyes widened, clearly aware of what that was, "And…when he died…I inherited his power."

"So you can control the Dragon?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

She blinked, letting out a stunned breath, "Anything else I should know?"

"Um…since the Druids seem to think I'm an Archmage...I'm actually sort of the king of the magical world? Wouldn't you know."

"My mother…" Morgana smiled, teasing him, "Always said I was destined to be a queen."

"MY Queen," he smiled in return, stroking her cheek, "When we're wed," he promised her, knowing, though it broke their hearts, that they couldn't wed just yet, not with Morgause watching them and Uther's now fragile mental state, "You will be MY Queen, the queen of the magical realm."

She smiled, "I like the first title better, _yours_."

He beamed and kissed her, he very much liked that title too.

~8~

Arthur smiled as he leaned against the post at the foot of his father's bed, watching as Marayna tended to his father so...tenderly. He knew she had misgivings about and disagreed with MUCH of what his father had done and still did. But, to see her still showing him compassion, caring…it warmed his heart. He'd asked her why, why tend a man who he knew she didn't care as much about as she probably should.

She'd simply said 'because he's your father.'

"Sire?" there was a knock on the door and Leon entered with Gaius, "We have seen an army approaching Camelot."

"And army?" his eyes widened as he stood straight.

"I estimate they will reach the city within two days."

"Under whose banner do they march?"

"Cenred's, Sire. We knew he was amassing an army..."

"How many men?" Arthur cut in, far more serious now with this new threat.

"20,000 maybe more."

"I fear that news of the king's illness has spread beyond our borders," Gaius added, "Cenred sees an opportunity."

"Then we must find a way to appease him," Leon began.

"Not what my father would do," Arthur shook his head, "He wouldn't bow to our enemies."

Marayna scoffed, "And here I thought you were stepping out of the mold your father set you Artie."

Leon coughed, trying to cover his snort of laughter at her nickname, as the situation did not call for it to be used...but then again, the situation did not call for laughter against the Crown Prince either.

"I am thinking of the concessions Cenred will insist on," Arthur explained, "The territories he will demand..."

"We do not have to give him anything, but it _could_ buy us valuable time," Gaius countered.

"It shows _weakness_, Gaius. There's only one course of action open to us," he sighed, "We must prepare the city for siege."

"Are you sure that is wise?" Leon frowned and Marayna shook her head at Arthur, still didn't listen did he? Here were THREE people of different ranks, walks of life, and experience, ALL telling him that battle was the WORST idea...and he was still set on it because 'it's what Uther would do' as though all the things Uther had done in the past were nothing to be shamed of.

"The castle is our strongest weapon," Arthur nodded, "No army has ever taken Camelot."

"But what about the people in the outlying villages?"

"Give them refuge within the city walls."

"Well that's all well and good, they survive a night, but what will they return to when their houses are burned, their cattle and livelihood destroyed?" Marayna frowned, "Cenred will decimate everything between him and the castle. They will have NOTHING when they leave."

"They will have their lives," Arthur argued, turning to Leon, "Go. Ready the army," he waited as Leon nodded and bowed, leaving the room with Gaius, before he sighed and looked at Marayna, "You don't agree I take it?"

"No I do not," she nodded, wiping Uther's brow.

"Mara…"

"Arthur," she turned to him, "War is _pointless_. If THIS is how you react to every single army that marches towards you, you will find yourself constantly at war. You want to do what Uther would do? Take a moment to think about what his actions have already done to Camelot."

"What are you talking about?" Arthur frowned, even though he had a fairly good idea what she was speaking about, he just...felt the need to defend his father, especially with the man so weakened.

"You can't honestly tell me that _every single person_ with magic who has attacked has done so simply because they're evil can you?"

"Magic corrupts and..."

"So _all_ those people who never would have even thought about Camelot had Uther not slaughtered their family and drowned their children are not proof to the contrary?" she cut in, "They're just naturally evil?"

"Mara…"

"No Arthur!" she stood, throwing the damp cloth to the ground, "If you were to go into another kingdom and stab a boy through the heart for no other reason than the fact that he was born with red hair...would you not expect his family to fight to avenge him?"

"That's different."

"How?" she asked, "Because someone had the misfortune to be born with magic?" he was silent, the example she'd used...it DID rather display what it must have looked like to others, what his father had done, "That's what I thought," she shook her head at him, "If your father hadn't attacked them, killed their families, ALL of the people who attacked Camelot with magic would _never_ have. You SAW it when Merlin first arrived. Uther killed Mary Collin's son. Why?"

"Because he had magic."

"Did he use it?"

Arthur was silent.

"DID he?"

"No," he admitted, one of the guards had seen a talisman the man was wearing and taken him in for questioning where it had been revealed he had magic.

"So he was killed for simply possessing magic, when he had never _used_ it within the borders?"

Arthur sighed, "Yes."

"So a mother, seeing her son killed before her eyes for NOTHING, isn't allowed to be angry and want revenge?" she seemed disgusted by that, "SHE just happened to have magic too. SHE attacked you because UTHER attacked HER son. Do you see it now? It is just a vicious cycle of violence. It will _never_ end if you continue to 'do as your father did' when what he did was WRONG to start with. Fighting should be a LAST resort. Otherwise the streets of Camelot will forever run red with the blood of those fighting a battle that will NEVER end."

She took a breath, feeling tears in her eyes at the thought of her...home becoming that, "I had such hopes that when YOU finally started to step into the role of a ruler, that things would be _different__._ That the people wouldn't be terrified of their ruler, YES," she cut in as he moved to argue, "They are TERRIFIED of Uther, Arthur. You've _seen_ it. You can hear it whenever a peasant comes before an audience with him, it's not reverence that makes their voices shake, it's fear. It's not respect or loyalty, but terror. It is most certainly _not_ better to be feared than loved. And YOU…" she looked at him earnestly, "You actually HAVE that, the love, the respect, the loyalty of your people. How will you protect them when you're king if THIS is how you protect them now?" she swallowed hard, "If you keep on this path Arthur...who will protect them from YOU?"

She shook her head and walked past him, Arthur turning to watch her go, a solemn, thoughtful expression on his face, "She did it again..." he mused quietly to himself.

Neither of them noticed Uther wake and watch her go as well, the shouting having woken him, Marayna's words affecting him more than he knew the words of a servant should.

~8~

Morgana stood with Gwen, watching as the castle prepared for siege, the villagers being herded into the gates, before sighing, "I have to go," she murmured sadly, "Morgause wants to know what we are planning."

"What will you say?" Gwen asked, fearing for her Lady, she was caught in an impossible situation. She knew Morgana would _never_ betray Camelot, but she knew that...to give even the wrong piece of information to Morgause could see her killed as a traitor to the woman.

"I don't know," she admitted, before turning to fetch Merlin and Marayna, feeling safer and more confident with them there.

~8~

Morgana paced in a clearing in the woods, waiting for Morgause, trying to keep her gaze from going to the trees Merlin ad Marayna hid behind. They had taken precautions, enchantments so Morgause wouldn't notice them this time.

"Where have you been?" she demanded as Morgause appeared. She needed to get back to Camelot, to her home, to her people, she couldn't _stand_ being in the woods waiting for something like this. She hated that she had to come at all, to play this…part.

"What's wrong, sister?" Morgause noticed her agitation.

Morgana swallowed, preparing to say the story Merlin and Marayna had offered her, an excuse, "Merlin and Rayna are alive," she clenched her jaw, hoping Morgause wouldn't notice her slip on Marayna's name, the friendly and informal quality to it, she'd been calling the woman that for years that to call her Marayna around anyone would take time, "They've returned and destroyed the root."

"Do not worry," Morgause smiled reassuringly, "The root has already done its work, and Cenred's army are less than a day from the city. And now…it is _your_ turn Morgana."

"My turn?" she stiffened.

"Cenred's army are mighty, but they cannot bring down the city on their own. You, too, must play your part."

Morgana swallowed hard, trying to seem like she was pleased by this, "Tell me what I must do."

Morgause held out a staff that she'd brought with her, "It's carved from the Rowan tree that grows at the very heart of the Isle of the Blessed. Only the High Priestesses and their Bloodguard have ever set eyes on it."

Merlin reached out and grabbed Marayna's hand as it clenched into fists at how Morgause was STILL claiming to be the High Priestess, despite the Bloodguard clearly turning on her, what should have been a sign that the true High Priestess was there...she really had NO idea how Morgause hadn't put the pieces together to realize SHE was the High Priestess, she'd expect that level of obliviousness from Arthur.

"My magic is still weak," Morgana argued, wanting NOT to do this, "I do not have the strength to wield such an instrument."

"Do not worry. The staff will guide you. It carries its own power."

Morgana forced herself to nod, taking the staff from her, "I will not fail you."

"I know," Morgause smirked.

~8~

As Merlin prepared provisions for Arthur and Uther for the siege, Marayna helped Gaius and Gwen prepare the Main Hall as an infirmary, catching sight of Arthur as he walked past, offering him a sad smile, almost apologetic. She had no right to yell at him, especially not with his father so ill, SHE wasn't his queen, not yet according to the Dragon. He nodded, offering her one of his own before he headed into his father's chambers, taking a moment to sit with him.

Hours passed though as he tried to draw strength from his father, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Marayna beside him, Merlin at the door.

"Sire," Merlin called, "It's time."

Arthur nodded, getting up, "I promise," Arthur told his father, "I will _not_ let you down."

He took Marayna's hand and led her out, knowing she would absolutely refuse to sit by as her brother fought beside him and not herself as well.

They made their way out onto the battlements, looking out at the enemy now visible in the fields, heading for them.

~8~

Marayna helped Arthur put his armor on in his chambers, the army too near now, Merlin was with Morgana, coming up with a plan to 'stop' whatever it was Morgause wanted her to do with that staff. And that was fine with her, she knew how he cared for Morgana, much like she cared for Arthur.

"Sorry," Marayna murmured as she pulled too tightly on one of the straps.

Arthur frowned, eyeing her, "It's not like you to get nervous, is it Mara?"

"I'm not nervous," she told him.

"No?" he scoffed.

"I trust you," she shrugged, "And I believe in your destiny."

"Have you started in on the cider too now?" he tried to joke.

But she just looked at him, serious, "Arthur...you're destined to be, probably, the greatest king Camelot will ever have. If you manage to shut up and listen from time to time. And even though I don't think this is a smart move AT ALL..._when_ you win, it'll be another story in a long legend people will tell about your greatness. Legends that will last...forever. So just go out there and stab things, preferably the enemy and not my brother, I know you probably dream about murdering him at times."

Arthur stared at her, still surprised by how she could go from serious to joking and back and forth while still impacting comfort, wisdom, and even chastisements into it all, "There are times, Mara, when you display a sort of...I don't know what it is. I don't want to say...it's not wisdom. But, yes. That's what it is. You and Merlin, you both do that at the most random times..."

"Of course," she smirked, "_I'm_ a woman. We're naturally wise. And Merlin is just brilliant."

He smiled at her, reaching out to kiss her hand, touched she would stay with him, that she believed in him that much, "And where's that idiot brother of yours?"

"Where else?"

"With Morgana," they both said, chuckling a bit.

~8~

Morgana watched, pale, as she and Gwen stood in the infirmary, watching the soldiers file out of the castle from the window, when Merlin appeared in the reflection behind her.

"It's time Gana," he whispered.

She nodded, taking his hand and the staff Morgause had given her, before heading off with him.

~8~

The battle had begun, Cenred's armies launching flaming materials at Camelot as the troops advanced, breaking through the Lower Town before they reached the barricade the knights and guards had set up. Arthur and the knights, Marayna among them, stood in the background as Arthur was loathe to allow her too far out,the men fighting nobly, Marayna trying to attack any who might sneak up on Arthur as best she could, using a wee bit of magic here and there to help.

"Hold the line!" Leon shouted, when he spotted _Uther_ joining them, dressed in armor as well, "You need to go back, Sire."

Uther just pushed past him to reach the front line.

"Oh honestly," Marayna muttered, Leon looking at her, "Are _all_ Pendragon men complete morons?" she huffed, before racing after the king, now having to keep _him_ safe as well.

Leon just stared for a moment at the girl's comment, not knowing anyone who had ever called Uther a 'moron' (and lived to tell about it at least), before he returned to fighting, Cenred's men now climbing the battlements with ladders.

"Arthur!" Marayna called as Uther finally reached the front and started to fight, "A little help here!"

He turned to see his father there, "Father!" he pushed his way over and dragged him back to Marayna.

"What are you _doing_?" Uther demanded.

"You're not well."

"This is _my_ kingdom!" Uther struggled, about to push himself past…when he was shoved to the ground by Marayna, who clutched her side as an arrow embedded itself in her.

"MARA!" Arthur cried, grabbing her as she collapsed into his arms.

Uther looked between the girl bleeding on the ground, having saved his life from his foolish actions and Arthur, then to the overwhelmed barricade, "Pull back!" he ordered the knights, "Retreat!"

The knights started to do just that as the enemy launched themselves over the barricade.

"Arthur," Uther knelt down.

Arthur shook his head and stood, scooping Marayna up with him, as Uther led the way back inside.

Marayna blinked blearily as she looked up at the enemy just past Arthur's arm, "_Forbærnen_," she murmured, her eyes flashing before they fell closed…a wall of fire springing up to block the enemy from following, giving the knights time to retreat and seal the gates.

~8~

"Oh my god Rayna!" Gwen cried as she saw Arthur and Uther rush in with Marayna in the prince's arms, the arrow sticking out of her side.

"Lie her down!" Gaius ordered, frantic, his hands starting to shake at seeing his niece in such a state, pale, having lost too much blood. Honestly, how did this KEEP happening?! His niece, bless her soul, had only ever had one serious injury in her entire near 20 years of life before she'd come to Camelot...and now he felt like he was treating her for wounds nearly every week!

"We must get back to the battle," Uther declared, trying to seem firm among his people, in charge, "We're losing the Lower Town."

"It's already lost, father," Arthur shook his head, squeezing Marayna's hand as she struggled to remain conscious, having been jolted awake by being placed on the table. He couldn't help but feel like this was all his fault. HE had ordered the attack…she had warned him against it...but he'd thought he knew better, that he knew war better, she was right though...fighting just led to more death and that was NOT something a proper king would ever want.

"And the citadel?"

"Safe for now."

"It must stay that way."

"I'm well aware father," he nearly growled at how the man was more concerned with Camelot than Marayna though he rightly knew he SHOULD be worried about Camelot too. While he couldn't say it out loud, Marayna...she was the future of Camelot. If he lost her…Camelot would lose more than just some random servant, but her heart and soul, HIS heart and soul, "You have to trust me, father, I know what I'm doing."

Uther watched his son, his attention never breaking from the girl he was holding. He knew he sounded harsh, to focus on such details, but…he was worried. He felt...guilty, him! HE actually felt guilty about the girl getting hurt, SHE had shoved HIM out of the way, that could have been HIM.

It was HIS fault and the guilt...he pinched the bridge of his nose, it...it had to be an affect of that enchantment Gaius had been muttering about...

Marayna let out a little laugh, waking more, "The day you know…what you're doing…" she groaned as Gaius broke off most of the arrow, "Is the day…I'm not…a servant anymore."

Arthur smiled, seeing her spirit still intact. He leaned forward and kissed her head, "You must rest."

"Like hell I must," she groaned, struggling to sit up...as Gaius pulled the arrow out of her, and down she went into blackness again, hearing Arthur's fond chuckle as she sunk into it.

~8~

Merlin and Morgana made their way to the burial vaults, "This is where she said to go?" Merlin asked her.

Morgana nodded, sighing sadly, making her way to the middle of the room, staring at the staff.

"You have to do it Gana," he reassured her, putting his hands on her shoulders, "If you don't Morgause will wonder why you didn't help with the attack," he leaned forward to rest his head on hers, "It'll be alright, I'll be here to 'stop you.'"

She nodded, taking a step away and driving the staff into the stone floor. They watched in horror as the staff shot energy at the tombs around them, skeletons bursting through the tombs and grabbing the swords they'd been buried with...

~8~

Marayna gasped awake a short while after having passed out (she refused to say fainted) when she felt the power flare, "Oh COME ON!" she groaned, pushing herself up, her hand pressed to her side as her wound tugged despite its wrappings. She looked around, making sure Gwen and Gaius were distracted by the other injured before getting up and struggling out the doors, back to the battle if just to warn Arthur of something she knew he probably wouldn't believe her about, she still had to TRY.

"Take him to the hospital," Arthur was handing a wounded man off to a guard when he saw her, "Mara!" he gasped, "What the hell are you doing here?!"

She just shook her head and pointed past him.

He turned, spotting an army of skeletons behind him. He pulled his sword and stabbed one as it reached him...but it just shrugged and kept fighting him.

"Really?" she shouted at him, pulling a single sais out of her boot to use to defend herself as best she could while keep her other hand on her wound, "It's a SKELETON Arthur, you really thing STABBING it now is going to kill it? It's already dead!"

"Father!" Arthur turned to him, grabbing his arm as the king backed up into him, trying to fight the skeleton attacking him as well, "You need to get to the infirmary, warn Gaius. Tell him to seal off the hospital and stay there!" he half-ordered.

"Arthur..." Uther glared, HE was the King here.

"I don't have time to argue!" Arthur snapped, "YOU are the KING. YOU must be kept safe now go!"

"Please," Marayna added, wincing, "You'll only be a distraction to the men. They can't concentrate on fighting the soldiers and keeping themselves safe if they're worried about protecting YOU."

Uther paused, thinking on her words before he nodded. It HAD been foolish to join the fray, the most distracted person would be Arthur and he _couldn't_ risk his son being distracted enough to be harmed as he knew Arthur would refuse and even fight him if he had to to remain out there with his knights.

And so...he ran back into the castle.

Marayna looked around, frantic, trying to spot something, just ONE thing that would end this all...and then she saw it, Morgause standing with Cenred, watching the army of skeletons with a smirk on her face...

~8~

Merlin stood in the burial vault, his eyes closed as he concentrated on his sister, before they snapped open, "Now!" he shouted, running to the staff, "Morgause has seen the soldiers, she knows the spell was cast. We can destroy it now," he told Morgana.

"Good," she breathed, relieved.

Merlin's eyes flashed as he enchanted the sword he'd brought, "_Snides!_" and slashed at the staff, destroying it.

~8~

Marayna breathed as sigh of relief, seeing the skeletons fall to pieces, the knights able to push the rest of the living army back.

~8~

Morgana smiled, before a thought struck her, "Uther…he was in the battle?" she asked, Marayna had been keeping them aware of what was going on...she'd had to hold Merlin back when they'd heard Marayna get struck by the arrow, hating to do it but reminding him that they HAD to be there or the plan would fail, "He went to the infirmary…what if…what if he doesn't see me there? What if he suspects it was ME that set the skeletons out?" she started to pant, fearful, "I have magic, Merlin. Uther hates me and everyone like me. He'll have me killed..." that was one thing that had carried over from her time with Morgause, to be able to do magic all the time there and come back here, even more aware that she had to hide and why...she was scared.

"He would _never_," Merlin walked to her, putting his hands on her shoulders, "You, of all people, could change Uther's mind. Look at you," he smiled at her softly, stroking her cheek with a finger, looking at her just...so proud, "Using your magic for GOOD. Even if Uther never sees it, Arthur will."

"That's what magic should be for," she nodded, "_That's_ why we were born with these powers, to show them that it can be GOOD," she closed her eyes, smiling now, "We show them that and we can make a world where no one must feel like an outsider or ashamed of how there were born, to have to hide who they are."

"And what a world that will be," he kissed her forehead," And…" he smiled, "I have a way to keep you in his good graces and out of suspicion."

"How?" she frowned.

~8~

Uther stood before the court the next morning, Camelot safe, the people alive, and, luckily, not much damage done to the surrounding villages. It seemed Cenred had been too focused on Camelot he'd left the villages alone for the most part. And now they were there, with him standing as the proud king once more, beaming as Morgana knelt before him, "In my time, we've won many battles, but none so important as this. Every man, every woman, and child has performed their heroic best, and I thank you, and I salute you all. Even before the battle, we knew there was a traitor in our midst, one who was almost the undoing of us. However, we have to thank the one person who outwitted them, and who, almost singlehandedly, turned the battle," he gestured to Morgana, "The Lady Morgana."

Morgana merely bowed her head in modesty as the court applauded her. Merlin and Marayna stood to the side, smiling, at least one person who used their magic for good had gotten credit. And one day, Arthur (or maybe Uther even) would look back to what Morgana had done and realize she had magic all along and it hadn't corrupted HER.

"For it was she who bravely entered the vault, found the magical vessel, and destroyed it," Uther continued...only to lead on into another topic that had the siblings and Morgana's hearts breaking, "We must be vigilant! We must stand firm against the dark forces of magic, and ensure that they_ never_ penetrate our walls again."

Morgana's smile faded as she flinched, but took a breath and smiled again when she looked up at Uther. It would be a long road, but, as she glanced at Merlin and Marayna out of the corner of her eye...she knew they would travel it together.

~8~

"Morgause will try again," Morgana warned solemnly as she and Gwen sat with Merlin, Marayna, and Gaius in the physician's chambers.

"We'll be ready for her," Merlin assured her.

"And I cannot wait till I get to face her, one on one," Marayna glowered, "Steal MY title will she?" she added in a mumble, earning a laugh from Morgana as Gwen smiled.

"You must be careful," Gaius told them.

"We're not afraid of her, Gaius," Merlin looked at him.

"You _should_ be. Gwen and I especially," he added, knowing that they were the least practiced in magic of the group, the most vulnerable.

"No," Gwen shook her head, "All I feel for her is...sad. I pity her. She's so bitter, so full of hate..."

"_Don't_ let that happen to you," Gaius pointed at each of them, "Any of you."

"Nothing could _ever_ make me that angry," Merlin remarked, before pausing to actually consider the possibility of it, "Well…I suppose if she tried to harm you, Gana," he looked at her, growing more thoughtful, "Or you, Aya. Or Gwen, or Gaius, or…"

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted in the halls, making them jump, "Mara!"

"Arthur?" Marayna supplied the last 'or' with a laugh as the man in question entered the chamber.

"Get your lazy backsides out here," he grumbled.

"No," Merlin answered Marayna as the two of them got up to go tend to Prince Prat.

A/N: I'm very happy that Morgana is still good :) I liked the idea of her being a double-agent so to speak, and her helping the siblings. I feel like it puts them in even more of an ethical question at times, when they have to knowingly let something bad happen (like with the mandrake) in order to not blow Morgana's cover :(

Some notes on reviews...

I just wanted to say thank you guys again for your condolences, it really meant a lot to me :')

Lol, I'm glad you're all excited that this'll be a good-Morgana story :) I can't wait for some of the twists that will come from that :)

I can't say who it'll be that finds out about their magic. It could be Arthur, or an enemy, or even...Uther! Dun dun duh! Lol :) We'll have to wait and see ;)

I can say that Uther will still have to die, Arthur needs to be king, and I feel like a lot of what he does as king is a result of how Uther died :( But I can say that Uther will express something about magic before he goes, I won't say what though }:) As for the official ship name, I put it up for a vote and it came up as Arayna ;)

Not quite an HP reference there, but I can see how it's like it, I just tried to make it as formal and solemn as I could ;) I can say we'll actually see the staff-fight with Arthur in this story and Marayna will definitely confront Morgause about the title at one point yup ;) And thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying Marayna and the story so far :)

I can't say who'll find out this series, we'll have to wait and see ;) Could be Arthur, could be Uther, or an anemy...or someone no one expects }:)

Lol, I liked the 'whoops' moment too, I wanted that to be a little funny ;)


	3. The Value of Servants

The Value of Servants

This…was not going to work. At all. SO not going to work. She was going to muck something up, a war would break out, and she'd be executed.

That was all Marayna could thing as she stood beside Arthur in the Main Hall waiting for visiting dignitaries from a neighboring kingdom, well not really a neighboring kingdom, it was more like one of Camelot's larger villages, the Lord of the town was coming to Camelot to discuss a few details about the various laws that the village was meant to keep in line with Camelot. It was meant to be a routine visit but it was already shaping up that there was nothing routine about it.

For one, Uther was not going to be attending this meeting. Oh he would host the visiting lord, yes, he'd be there for the banquet that night, see the man off early the next morning, greet him when he arrived first and foremost…but that was all Uther felt himself capable of handling. The king was still a bit weary from the mandrake root, and he looked it too, it appeared as though he'd aged 10 years in not even 10 days. To any who looked, the king appeared normal, his usual brooding and serious self, to the peasants mostly. To the servants and other nobles who were around him every day, they could see the change in their king. His hair seemed grayer, thinner, his face longer, with a few more wrinkles. His eyes were hard but…tired and almost pained. There were bags under his eyes and he walked stiffly, as though his entire body was just…sore and old.

Gaius had assured Arthur that his father would recover, but it would be a long process as Uther wasn't as young as he once was. The stiffness and weariness might still remain, but Uther would be more his old self in no time. Not that anyone was in a rush for the king to return to his paranoid state. They had noticed that Uther almost seemed to be giving Arthur a few more tasks to handle, tasks that were usually reserved for the king, but, as he was the Crown Prince, and his father needed his help, Arthur took on the extra burdens gracefully and nobly…this was one of them.

Marayna had expected that, if Arthur was going to be leading this meeting with the visiting nobles, that Uther would appoint Morgana to assist him, play the role of hostess…but Morgana had fallen strangely ill just the day before. Gaius had said it was a simple fever but that hadn't stopped Merlin from being frantic with worry for her and spend as much time as he could without it being suspicious or noticeable with her. She was more than happy to take on her brother's chores for the day so he could be with her. Arthur even seemed to guess what Merlin's intentions were and had lightened the workload considerably for which she was grateful.

The thing she was NOT grateful for…was that somehow, she still wasn't sure how, she' had gotten roped into assisting Arthur with the meeting. Oh she wasn't the host, not at all, leave her in charge of greeting people and she'd probably shake their hand too hard or punch them in the shoulder and they, not expecting it, would fall over into the mud or something. No, she wasn't the hostess at all, far from it, but she WAS excepted to attend to Arthur during the meeting, handing out the different documents (it was a good thing she could read, which might have been why a few other servants who were more experienced were overlooked), filling goblets, handing out whatever it was Arthur needed.

She was infinitely happy she wasn't the host…but she wasn't quite sure why she was wearing one of Morgana's old gowns. Gwen had shown up in Gaius's chambers about two hours before she was meant to go find Arthur and head to the Main Hall with him, and half-thrust one of the gowns into her arms, ushering her back into hers and Merlin's room without a moment's hesitation and locked her in. According to Gwen, it was Morgana's way of apologizing for falling ill, as though she had anything to apologize for, to give her a gown to wear before the nobles, claiming that her usual dress would have to be a bit more fitting for such a meeting. She hadn't seen the point, she was a servant, she was meant to dress like a servant wasn't she? Gwen had reassured her that even SHE had to dress more 'nobly' when at a meeting like that.

So she'd been forced into a dress. She was quite sure Morgana also wanted to try and ensure that Arthur flubbed his way through the meeting given the dress she'd been forced into.

It was blue.

Not just any blue, but the shade of lightish blue that seemed to always distract Arthur whenever she wore it. It was such a change from constantly wearing the red of Camelot all the time she was sure THAT was the reason for it, for his constant glances at her and the way he stared at her when she wore the blue. Morgana claimed it was because it brought out her eyes, she didn't see it though. The dress itself was very simple for Morgana's standards, it was a simple corseted top, with long thin sleeves and a flowing skirt. The laces were made of a gold colored string which matched the embroidered leaves that were patterned all over the dress. She had to smile though when she saw herself in a small mirror Gwen had brought, and touched the small heart-pendant that Arthur had given her for her birthday so long ago.

She'd entered her room shortly after they had made amends and found it laying on her pillow with a small flower. She was happy to say she hadn't taken if off since then but, though she hoped she never would have to take it off again, she knew that when Arthur eventually married some noblewoman or another she'd have to give him the pendant back. He'd given it to her with the words that she held his heart. She couldn't hold his heart if he married someone else.

She shook her head, trying not to think about that, trying not to think about the day but focus on the meeting that was about to happen. She was so nervous though, she knew her mouth often got her in trouble and, though Arthur had remarked these nobles were usually fair in spirits, she was afraid she'd say something or do something to offend them. And then she groaned inwardly, she was getting soft wasn't she if she was worried she'd offend a noble. Usually she didn't care one way or the other if she offended them or not, they had to earn her respect just like anyone else and till that happened, she would act whichever way she wanted around them. But this…this was different.

This time it was just her and Arthur with the nobles. This time it was men from Camelot's own kingdom, not some visiting king who had the power to demand she be punished. If these men were offended…they would just renege their willingness to follow the laws of Camelot and renounce the king and Arthur and try to break away from the kingdom and then go to war and…

Her mind was getting the best of her here. She doubted they'd go to that extreme but…she couldn't help but worry that she'd do something that would cause some sort of internal strife in Camelot. The kingdom was already weakened from the latest attack and with Uther not at his best, it would be important for Arthur to be seen as capable and in control. If he couldn't even keep his one servant quiet and under control, what hope did he have to lead the rest of his people? And THAT was why she was actually trying to remember her manners.

This was going to be Arthur's first challenge that he faced without his father there, the first taste of what it would be like to be king, to lead a meeting on his own. She'd once remarked, long ago, that the King wouldn't let people go to war just because the prince didn't come to a meeting…that wasn't true anymore. If Arthur was the one hosting the meeting and shirked his duties…there would be much worse than hell to pay from Uther.

She just…really wanted this to go well for him, to show the people he had all the potential and capability to be a good king.

"Mara will you stop fidgeting?" Arthur murmured beside her, the two of them waiting till the doors opened for the other nobles.

"I can't help it," she countered, tugging at the sleeves of her dress, why did they have to be so tight? She hated that about the dresses, her tunics were so much freer, she always felt like she couldn't move in the tight dresses of the court. And the corsets! She couldn't breathe in them…which as probably also why she was so antsy and tugged at the bottom of her bodice every few minutes.

"Are you nervous?" he glanced at her, he…didn't really ever see her like that.

"Can you blame me?" she scoffed, answering his question with one of her own, "If I do ONE thing wrong and ruin this…"

"Mara it's just a formality," Arthur tried to reassure her, "This happens every year, Lord Myron comes, we review the laws and new regulations, he eats, he drinks, he sleeps, and then he leaves. Same as ever."

"Yes but this is the first time I'M here with you," she reminded him, "And, in case you forgot, I don't exactly have the best record of not insulting noblemen."

He chuckled at that, she certainly didn't, but he liked that. He liked how blunt and honest she was, how she never let anyone get away with injustice no matter their station. She'd told him off more times than he could count and, even though she hadn't exactly ever said it directly to his father's face, she HAD brought up quite a few of the hypocritical deeds he'd done in the past. Eliminating all magic…but keeping a dragon beneath the castle. Going on a rampage against magic…but had used it before the Purge. Executing anyone who so much as housed or helped a sorcerer, even unknowingly…but wouldn't dare order his own execution for doing the same. He felt like he was a better man for knowing her, because she pointed out the things he didn't want to see.

"Uther can't exactly banish YOU," she continued, "You're his son, and it's not like he's going to up and marry again to produce another heir. I'm fairly certain that if I start a war with another kingdom he'll have my head for it."

"It's not another kingdom though."

"You know what I mean," she looked at him, "You can get away with it, half the time I'm meant to be seen and not heard, hardly ever seen even."

"Good," he murmured, not even realizing that had slipped out.

"Excuse me?" she put her hands on her hips, giving him her best 'eyebrow of doom' at what he'd said, "Good?"

Arthur blinked, "I…I just meant…I…I prefer it if you weren't seen."

"What, now you're embarrassed of me?" she shook her head, trying to ignore how her heart started to break at that.

"What?!" he stared at her, his eyes wide, "No! Not ever, Mara no."

"But you just said…"

"I meant, I don't want OTHERS to see you," he sighed, reaching out to take her hand, "I don't want others to see how beautiful you are and try to steal you away from me. I…_I_ want to be the only one who gets to _see _you."

She blinked at that, feeling herself starting to smile, "You have nothing to worry about there," she told him, "No one in my entire life has ever looked at me the way you do…no one's ever _seen_ me."

He nearly beamed at that, pleased he was the only one who looked at her like that, and hoping no one else would try to do the same. Well…he knew Richard probably had, but really…that man's stare was more creepy than loving, like he hoped his own gaze was.

Before he could open his mouth to add more to it, the doors were pushed open and Lord Myron, a rather portly, bald, older man entered, grinning widely at Arthur.

"Here w ego I suppose," Marayna breathed, Arthur squeezing her hand in support before they headed over to the nobles, Marayna trying to let go of his hand to stand behind him as was proper…but Arthur kept her beside him the entire time.

It wasn't like his father was there to reprimand him for it.

If he could, he'd have Marayna beside him in everything.

~8~

Marayna had never felt more angry and insulted in her life, which was something considering what her life had been like.

The meeting had started off well enough, pleasantries exchanged, Arthur doing magnificently at handling Lord Myron and his advisor, an old man named Thomas. The men had merely gone over the laws that were currently in place, seeing if any were to be removed or amended, only one was, to lower the taxes for the peasants by a fraction that wouldn't hurt the kingdom as a whole but would offer a little more relief to the poor. Arthur then went on to add a few new rules and laws that had been passé, nothing that Myron seemed to take too badly…except the last one.

Of course, it had to be one involving servants.

It was a fairly simple law, that servants were to be given fair trials if they were ever accused of something untoward. It should have been an obvious law, something in human nature that everyone deserved a fair trial, but it wasn't that that was irritating Myron, it was the implication of it, it was the unspoken law that went with it. Ironically it was much related to what Marayna had said just before the meeting started.

Servants were to be heard.

Often the word of a servant meant nothing, especially in defending themselves against accusations. When they tried to warn their masters they were waved off, when they attempted to speak up with suggestions they were ignored, when they tried to protect themselves from being accused of a crime they were not even heard out and automatically thought guilty. Oh they were given a trial, but hardly given ample time to defend themselves. Arthur knew enough of how his father acted around servants, how many times they were often proven innocent but how long it took when it could have been avoided merely by giving them the chance to talk. He'd argued with his father for a year to get him to agree to the law that servants were not to be discarded and their testimony ignored.

It was meant to apply just to trials, but the way it was phrased could lead to it being used in everyday or crucial moments. Marayna was so proud of Arthur for thinking of it, for pushing for it and for succeeding in getting it taken care of. But now they were standing before Myron, the man going on and on about how the law would never be accepted, that servants were unimportant and useless and didn't know what they were talking about half the time.

Arthur was nearly at his wit's end about it, especially because Marayna, his own servant, was sitting right there, all her words about how servants were meant to be treated echoing back to him, making him realize she was right even when she wasn't trying to be right. He was getting very upset and angry about the man's claims of the value of a servant's life being less than that of a noble's…feeling disgusted with himself more than anyone else to realize he too had felt that way once, so long ago that it felt like a dream. Before he'd met Merlin and Marayna, the first time Merlin had met him he'd been hurling knives at a servant, not caring if he hit the boy or not. He knew his aim was good, near perfect, but he also knew the boy could have dropped the shield he'd given him or tripped or turned the wrong way and been hit by the blade instead…he hadn't cared.

And that was why he was getting so angry, not at Myron, who was speaking more like he was commenting on the weather or making a general statement. No, he was angry at himself and taking it out on the man.

Marayna rolled her eyes though, all too used to how the nobles thought of servants, and getting a bit exasperated by Arthur's behavior…though watching the vein protrude out of his neck as he tried not to shout outright at the noble was rather amusing.

"Arthur sit down before you have a stroke," she cut in, seeing him gripping the edge of the table so hard that his knuckles were turning white.

"Mara," he looked at her, "I…he…"

"Sit. Down," she pointed at the chair, giving him 'the look' that she'd given when Lancelot had been knighted, making him sigh and do as he was told, "I don't know why you're getting so upset," she told him, "If Lord Myron does not see the value in a servant, that is his own business so long as he follows the law, which he's already agreed to."

"You mistake me," Myron leaned forward in his seat to talk to Marayna, "It is not that I do not see the value in a servant…it is that there simple IS no value to be seen."

Marayna looked at him, taking a breath and trying to make this as…diplomatic as she could, "You shall have to forgive me, My Lord," she began, using as many of her lady-in-waiting lessons as she could manage to recall…not many of them, she'd hated every moment of it and been thankful for the chance to forget them when she fled East Anglia, "But I must disagree with you."

"Oh?" Myron eyed her.

She gave him a curt nod, "It is my opinion that servants are…" she paused, trying to find the words, "Are the legs that a kingdom stands on."

"Is that so?" Myron frowned, "And how do you come to that conclusion?"

Arthur looked at Marayna, curious to hear her answer as well.

The woman ran a hand through her hair, before starting, "They are the ones running the castles and manors, are they not? They cook, they clean, they deliver messages, they attend to their masters so they might focus on more important things. They are the ones tending the fields and caring for the horses, ensuring the proper care is given to the children. Think, my Lord, how would your village, or any kingdom, fair if the servants were to suddenly disappear?" she offered instead, "Could you honestly say you could cook your food or dress or prepare anything without them?"

Thomas smiled at that, nodding his head, "I couldn't agree more," he chuckled, "I know for a fact that Lord Myron wouldn't be able to even find his trousers if it were not for his manservant."

"Thomas!" Myron cried, gaping at his advisor in horror, trying in vain to keep his face from flushing.

"You cannot deny that My Lord," Thomas gave him a look.

Myron sighed after a moment, seeming to think about that, about what had been said, "I suppose not," he glanced at Marayna, "You bring up excellent points, My Lady."

Marayna smirked at that, "With all due respect, my Lord, according to your own views I am FAR from a Lady. I am…merely servant in a pretty dress."

Myron blinked and stared at her, "Really?"

Marayna's smile slipped for a moment, honestly surprised that he HADN'T worked out she was Arthur's servant. It should have been obvious…though, now that she thought about it…perhaps not. A servant would have stayed behind Arthur, but he'd kept her beside him. A servant would have stood to the back as the men discussed their business, Arthur had pulled out a chair for her right at the table. A servant would not have been allowed to speak (despite the nature of the law they were discussing), yet Arthur had sat down without question when she told him to. She hadn't been treated like a servant and her gown WAS made for a noblewoman…it was possible that Myron had thought she was some sort of lady of the court.

She glanced at Arthur to see him smiling victoriously and rolled her eyes, that was probably his intention the entire time. He knew her, with her mouth he probably expected her to go off at some point and having the visiting dignitary see her as a noblewoman would make them either more inclined to listen to her or less inclined to be offended that a servant was speaking to them so…or both. It was probably that, yes.

Arthur though, knew it was only partially for that reason that he'd left Myron to assume she was a noble. He knew her, yes, but he knew how she seemed to always have a way of saying something that left him thinking and questioning. He wanted Myron to experience that. He'd wanted the man to hear the words of…well, wisdom really…and consider them, and THEN realize they came from a servant. It proved the point the law was trying to make flawlessly. Servants were sometimes the only ones who knew what was going on and their word SHOULD be taken into consideration.

He was ashamed of himself and how many times he hadn't listened to Merlin or Marayna despite his promises to do so and that was another reason he'd fought so hard for this law. He'd be FORCED to listen to them now. Well, not forced, but it would give him more of an excuse and a reason to listen and to heed their words. Sometimes it was hard to break through his princely lessons, the ones that told him he was meant to be king and kings were never wrong, and to see that others could offer sound advice, even a servant.

He wanted Myron to realize that as well, that the servants deserved to be listened to.

Marayna nodded, "Yes."

Myron looked at her thoughtfully for a moment or two, before he smiled, "Well, pretty dress or not, I shall always consider you a Lady," he gave her a deep nod of the head, almost like a mock-bow.

Marayna blinked at that and felt herself starting to smile as well, "I thank you, My Lord."

Arthur just watched her, very impressed with how she was handling this. Excusing her first outcry of him to essentially sit down and shut up, she had handled herself with quite a lot of decorum and propriety and…manners he hadn't known she actually possessed despite her claims of knowing them. He couldn't blame Myron for actually believing that she was a noblewoman from how she was carrying herself. She was standing there in her blue dress (he really DID have to make that color illegal to wear or something because he was having the most difficult time looking away from her, which was quite bad when entertaining visitors), her head held high, her shoulders back, a small smirk on her face…he would have wondered if she were channeling Morgana if it hadn't been for how she spoke and what she said. Lord Myron and Thomas looked most impressed with her as well and he couldn't help the proud smile from making its way onto his face.

He knew he'd made the right choice in requesting his father allow Marayna, and Marayna alone, to assist him in this meeting.

~8~

"This was a…most enlightening trip, Sire," Myron clasped Uther's arm in a shake as he and Thomas stood before their horses the next morning, ready to leave for their village once more.

"I am glad you enjoyed your stay," Uther said politely.

"I believe it was more the company," Myron sent a smile to Marayna, standing on Arthur's other side, Merlin beside her, back in her 'servant dress' for the time, proving to anyone and everyone she really WAS a servant.

Myron hadn't fully believed her when she'd said she was just a servant, he'd thought Arthur was pulling a trick on him. It wasn't till the banquet that night when he'd seen her in her servant's attire, tending to Arthur's goblet and standing with the other servants, conversing with them in a way only someone who had truly been a servant for a while could, that he finally believed he'd really been put in place by a servant. He'd actually been delighted by that, despite his earlier misgivings about the value of servants, though that was to be expected. According to Thomas, Myron was the sort of man who loved a challenge and loved learning. If he was wrong and proven so he did not get angry but merely felt pleased he had learned from his mistakes and could grow.

He was the perfect man to oversee a village, Marayna felt. It took a very strong and just man to see his flaws and work to fix them. She saw the same trait in Arthur though he DID have his princely pride to work through when it came to being wrong, but he was getting better at it.

Uther nodded at that, catching the direction the man was looking, "My son is…very adamant about the new laws."

Myron looked back at Uther's excuse for why the woman had been there in the first place, "As he should be," he agreed, "It is…a fine law," he nodded, "One that is long overdue I am sure."

"Perhaps," Uther gave a curt nod, as close to admitting that servants perhaps weren't as worthless as he'd originally thought as he could get.

"Your son will make a fine king one day," Myron told the man, "IF…" he chuckled, "He keeps that fine Lady around."

Uther frowned at how Myron kept insisting that Marayna was a Lady in disguise as a servant, but gave the man a small smile. He…could admit that this was a bit of a test. He hadn't wanted to let the girl attend Arthur during the meeting, all too aware of her lack of respect when it came to other nobles, how she spoke to them and often how she acted around them was improper half the time. He hadn't wanted to risk her souring the relationship between Camelot and one of her larger villages. Arthur had been persistent though, had argued nearly every day for a week before he'd given in.

It was a bit of a test to see just how the girl would handle being in a position where her words and actions would actually affect the future of Camelot. She had confessed to him that she wouldn't ever do anything that would cause harm to Camelot, that it was one of her greatest fears that the kingdom would suffer for something she had done. And so…he'd put her in a position to do just that and see just how much she truly cared for Camelot. She seemed to realize what could come of the meeting if she acted as she normally did and…he was genuinely surprised she'd he'd herself with such poise throughout it, according to Arthur's report of how the meeting had gone. She'd spoken out of turn, yes, quite a few times, ordered the prince about, but…she HAD been aware of what her actions could lead to and had done all she could to be as respectful as she could and to not do anything to jeopardize their relationship with the village.

He could admit…he was slightly (very minuscule really)…proud…of her, that she had been able to not only hold her tongue in a way, but also that she'd managed to endear herself to Myron and Thomas. It was the sign of a…true Lady to be able to do such a thing with a single meeting.

"I look forward to what I shall learn next year," Myron finished, bidding him farewell as he turned and got on his horse, heading out with Thomas.

He paused though, glancing back for only a moment to nod to look back at Marayna and caught the prince gazing at her with the softest of smiles on his face, Uther not seeing as his attention was on THEM. He had to chuckle to himself when he saw the girl look at the prince, catching his proud gaze, and blush.

Oh he was certain next year he'd learn that Camelot had a new princess.

A/N: For all Myron knows...he might learn Camelot has a new King and Queen by the next time he comes to court ;) But we'll have to wait and see how that plays out given all we know of Marayna and her thoughts on marriage :)

Some notes on reviews...

I'm glad you're enjoying the story so much! I'm the same way with writing, I stay up till like...3 am, then wake up at 6 for work, I just love it so much :)

Oh there'll be many more romantic scenes to come for Arthur and Marayna in this season ;) But I can say there may be a moment where we'll fear for Morgana's loyalty }:) I'll always post a chapter a day, no worries there ;)

I can't say when Arthur will specifically find out, I can say though that it'll be before Series 5 so either in this story or the next ;)

Lol, I definitely wanted that to be a little running gag that people keep taking her title :) And thanks! I try to get into the heads of the characters and add their thoughts instead of making it just a retelling of the transcript :)

Aww, thanks! I'm glad you like Marayna so much :) I'd die if they every put her into the show for real, I'd squeal, do a little dance, and then die of happiness :)


	4. Goblin's Gold

Goblin's Gold

Merlin and Marayna were walking through the Hall of Records, looking for a book Gaius had requested but weren't having any luck. Marayna blamed it on the rather bad layout of the 'library.' It was an enormous room, but crammed full of bookshelves, the books so stacked together that they could hardly be read. The lights were dim, with not many windows, just candles and torches...not the best thing to have in a room full of books. It wasn't their fault they were failing in their task. She sighed and walked over to Geoffrey as he sat behind his desk, "Yes?" he asked, looking up at her.

"Gaius wanted us to get him a book," she explained, "The um...Bestiary of Phylum of Cumbria?"

"The Bestiary of CAmbria?" Geoffrey corrected.

"Sure," she shrugged.

"I haven't seen that for many years. It'll be somewhere in the east wing," he gestured vaguely in a direction, "No idea where."

"That helps," she muttered, making the man laugh as they turned to heard to the right.

"East is that way," he pointed more firmly in the opposite direction, the one he'd been gesturing to only moments ago, laughing as they headed that way.

They wandered into a row of books, stopping when they saw the Bestiary on the very top shelf.

"Great," Merlin mumbled, trying to jump for it...only to trigger a secret door when he tried to scale it and pulled out a hidden mechanism, Marayna claiming she couldn't climb because of her dress. They looked over at the door and stepped inside of the secret chamber within to see a magic book there.

"I really hope this room isn't booby trapped like Sigan's was," Marayna muttered.

Merlin smiled at her, but cautiously stepped in, on the alert...and prompty bumped into an octagonal box, sending it toppling to the ground. Something inside it began to grumble, starting to hit it from within.

"What is that?" Marayna frowned, setting the box upright.

Merlin knelt beside her, "_Unlucan scrin,_" he breathed and the box unlocked. He opened it and…

A goblin popped out!

"Boo!" the goblin chuckled, staring at them as they stared at him with wide eyes. It looked like a sort of green little elf-thing with black hair and black eyes, "Are you going to say something, or shall I?"

"You can talk?" Marayna blinked.

The goblin chuckled, "You're a sharp one," and stretched, "Ooh, ah. I can't tell you how good it feels to be able to do that. And that!" he leapt up, starting to jump all around the room, knocking things over as he went, "And this..."

"Shh!" Merlin hissed.

"I have been squished and squashed inside that box for more than 50 years! Time to have some fun!" it jumped into a bookcase and started to throw books and other objects at them, "Woo! There you go!"

"Oi!" Marayna grumbled, "Will you stop that!" she huffed, managing to catch a book that it threw at her nose, "You want to get caught?"

"Have fun quietly," Merlin added, "It's just...very quietly."

The goblin just picked up a vase, holding it over the edge of the bookshelf as though to drop it.

"No!" Merlin jolted forward, "You are going to get us all into serious trouble."

The goblin just smirked and dropped the vase, Marayna held out a hand and her eyes flashed, catching it mid-fall, lowering it slowly. The goblin pouted at his ruined fun, "Oh dear, what a shame. Never mind!"

"Right," Merlin shook his head, "That's it. You are going back in that box while we work out what to do with you!" he ordered.

"Oh," the goblin sighed, "Alright. If I really must," he sulkily made his way to the box…only to jump on Merlin's head and do a merry little jig on it, "Ha ha! Fooled you!" before it took off, bumping into everything it could on the way.

"Stop it!" Marayna hissed as they ran after the goblin, seeing it searching through the room, eyeing the books and other objects. Merlin glanced at Marayna and grabbed a cloth hanging off a chair, trying to sneak up on it...

"Nah," the goblin sifted through a trunk, tossing out various objects, Marayna catching them with her magic to try and keep Geoffrey from hearing the noises, setting them down as gently and quickly as possible, "Nah. Nah. Maybe. Nah. Nah. Nah. Nah..."

"Got you!" Merlin shouted, lunging forward and grabbing it with the blanket. The goblin struggled before the blanket went completely flat. The little creature appearing behind them in a small yellow ball of light, squeezing through a crack in the door, "No!"

They ran out of the chamber…only for Marayna to get tripped and Merlin to be hit in the back of the head with a book by the goblin.

"Bullseye!" it cheered.

"Someone's going to see you!" Merlin hissed at him.

"Really? I'm just having a little tidy up!" he kicked the books off the top shelf, "Look here you want to get rid of all of this. Nasty mess up here. Nobody's had a brush up here for years! Look at it all old and...right, that's enough, I'm off. Hee hee!" and then it ran off down the aisle.

Marayna grabbed the Bestiary and they ran off…only to stop short when they saw Geoffrey, "Got it, thanks," she held it up for proof only a moment before Merlin took her hand and they ran out.

They could see a distinct trail the goblin had left, leading down the hall, all the wall ornaments had fallen to the floors. They ran along it, racing into Arthur's chambers to see the goblin searching through his belongings.

"Ugh! No!"

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no," Merlin ran over to it, trying to grab the mess.

"No! No! None here! Argh!" it shoved a boot out from under Arthur's bed, "None under here either!"

They knelt down and looked under both sides of the bed for the goblin when they heard the door open and closed their eyes, just _knowing_ who it was and what the room looked like…

"Merlin, Mara," they heard Arthur say, "I really hope, for your sake, you have a good explanation for this."

"Yes, of course we do," Marayna began slowly as she and Merlin began to pick themselves up from under the bed.

"We're...spring cleaning," Merlin told him, standing completely.

"It isn't spring, and it certainly isn't clean," Arthur remarked, looking around at the mess of his room. Everything was just tossed about, the sheets pulled off the beds, the objects knocked over, his clothes thrown about, the curtains half pulled down, just...a right old disaster.

"That's because we've only just started," Merlin nodded, "Yeah, you wait until we've finished. You'll be able to eat your dinner off the floor. Not that you want to."

There was a noise in the hall as the goblin escaped into it, "What was that?" Arthur frowned, turning to look for the source of the sound.

"Why don't we go and see, Merlin?" Marayna offered, as she grabbed her brother's hand and pulled him out, "And you can make yourself comfortable," she added to Arthur, "Try pulling all the cloth together to make a nest."

"A nest?" Arthur raised an eyebrow at how utterly ridiculous that sounded.

"Right not a nest for you, that's more for a Merlin," she joked, referencing her brother's avian-like name, and it was SO like him. When they were younger, very, VERY small, they'd gather all the cloth in their home together and make a little nest on their mother's bed when she was out in the fields, before they were old enough to help her. It was quite a bit of fun, but she could tell a nest definitely didn't suit Arthur, "Go build a fort."

"A fort?" Arthur scoffed, "Mara what..."

"Hop to it!" she cut in, making a sort of shooing motion with her hand, urging him on even as she slowly backed out of the room...till they were in the hall, where they dashed down it, seeing something being thrown into the corridor around the corner, from Morgana's rooms and ran towards it.

"Nearly, nearly, nearly," they could hear the goblin muttering, rushing in to see him tossing bracelets out of her jewelry box.

"Get out of here!" Merlin glared at the goblin, rushing towards it, but it just leapt to the window and jumped out it as Merlin tried to catch it. He sighed and turned around to see Marayna putting the jewelry back in the box and went to help her.

Gwen smiled as she entered the room and saw them, saw Merlin looking at one of the bracelets with a contemplative look on his face, she knew he was thinking about Morgana, probably about wanting to gift her with something similar, some piece of jewelry as he'd only ever been able manage the ring, but she had to tease him, "I'm really not sure it suits you, Merlin," she commented.

"Gwen!" he leapt up, relieved, "Thank god, look…there's something loose in the castle."

Gwen frowned, growing serious now, ready to help, "What?"

Marayna put the last of the bracelets back and stood with the jewelry box, "We're not sure, we're going to ask Gaius now, but…keep an eye out for you and Morgana, ok? It's like a really small green elf."

"Of course," Gwen nodded, determined as she went to find her Lady and warn her.

~8~

"There!" Marayna called as she pointed to a picture in, of all things, the Bestiary Gaius had requested they get.

"Seems you've unleashed a goblin," Gaius remarked, quickly skimming the information about it.

Merlin groaned, seeing the look on Gaius's face, "I know that face. That's not good, is it?"

"Goblins are the most mischievous of creatures. Mischievous and _dangerous_."

"Didn't seem dangerous," he frowned.

"Believe me, Merlin, goblins will stop at _nothing_ to get their hands on the one thing they value above all others...gold."

Before another word could be spoken, Arthur rushed into the room with a cry of, "You're needed, Gaius, for a matter of great urgency and extreme delicacy."

"What is it?" Gaius tensed, fearing the worst.

"It's my father," Arthur told him before motioning for them to follow. They quickly left the room and he led them down the corridors towards Uther's chambers, up the stairs and stopped before the doors, "I should warn you, if you value your lives, do not even_ think_ about laughing," he nodded, pushing the doors open, "Father?"

"I'm behind the screen," Uther called from just there, behind his changing screen.

They walked over and stopped short, seeing a _bald_ Uther sitting hunched on a chair, his arms crossed, sulking, pouting in a rather unkingly fashion, and looking highly unamused.

Marayna, of course, snorted and laughed.

"Mara!" Arthur glared, he'd JUST warned her NOT to laugh at the state his father was in.

"Not his hair," she chuckled still, "I'm laughing at his face. Sorry Sire," she added to Uther, "But…pouting is unbecoming of a king."

Uther just short her a glare for it.

~8~

"Only an enchantment could cause Uther to lose his hair like that," Gaius sighed as they headed down the corridor after having examined Uther, "I've no doubt the goblin is to blame. We must catch it before it does any real damage."

Merlin started laughing, finally letting himself have a go at it after seeing what his sister had pointed out, "The look on Uther's face though!" while he'd been focused on the king's new shiny head, his sister had been focused on the man's rather amusing expressions.

"Merlin, what do you think Uther will do to the person responsible for releasing the goblin?" Gaius rolled his eyes at them.

Marayna sighed, "We probably SHOULD catch it," she agreed, "But how?"

"We need to set a trap," Gaius determined, "And for that we need gold, and plenty of it."

"Wonderful," the siblings muttered, if they'd had gold they wouldn't be servants would they?

~8~

"Thank you Morgana," Merlin smiled, giving her a peck on the cheek as she handed him a small bag of gold coins.

She blushed at his praise, "It's no problem," she told them, she really was just happy to help and be a part of it. She was grateful this wasn't some trick by Morgause and that she didn't have to play the part of the double agent again, doing such terrible things for the sake of her cover. No, right now she could just...help, "Just…be careful when you face the goblin, I've heard tell they're tricky."

Marayna nodded, "We know."

"Good luck," Gwen smiled as she shut the door, keeping them safe in Morgana's rooms.

They quickly made their way down a corridor, slowing when they heard the goblin muttering. Merlin pulled out a gold coin and tossed it down the hall. The muttering stopped as the coin clinked.

They watched as the creature scuttled out and grinned, picking it up , "Lovely gold," it licked the coin and then looked over as another coin was tossed, just a further way down the hall.

Merlin and Marayna continued to place the coins, making a trail right to a storage room where there was a small pile of the gold. As soon as it was in, Gaius closed the door and Merlin grabbed the goblin with a blanket again.

But just before he could manage to get the goblin back into his box...the goblin turned into a little ball of light and buzzed away…right into Gaius's ear.

"Uncle," Marayna turned to him, alarmed, not having seen where the light had gone in her spinning arounds to try and follow it, "Did you see where it went?"

"You let it escape you stupid girl!" Gaius snapped at her, making the siblings pause and look at him questioningly, "Now you just stand there like a sack of potatoes. Go after it! Go! Shoo! Shoo!"

Merlin grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room as she frowned back at Gaius, both of them all too aware that their uncle would NEVER have shouted like that…

~8~

Merlin and Marayna sighed as they entered the physician's chambers to see Gaius tossing objects from the shelves, "We looked everywhere uncle," Marayna yawned, her face scrunching as she tried to contain it.

"There's no sign of the goblin any...what happened?" Merlin frowned, seeing the state of the room, it looked worse than Arthur's!

"It's that pesky goblin!" Gaius sneered, spinning to face them, Marayna staring at him in slight horror as...his skin appeared nearly green, almost the same shade as the goblin's had been, "You let it escape and it's ransacked my premises! You've got some cleaning up to do. Clean! Clean!"

"Where you going?" Merlin called as 'Gaius' headed for the door.

"I'm going to the tavern."

"Since when?" Marayna scoffed, wondering if the goblin thought they were stupid. Contrary to what everyone seemed to think about them, they were NOT idiots. With Gaius acting like that, like the goblin...what other excuse was there than that the goblin had either enchanted him or...worse yet...possessed him somehow.

"Then I shall see what I've been missing!" he grumbled, slamming the door behind him as the siblings looked at each other in concern, this was NOT going to end well at all.

~8~

Marayna left her chambers (Merlin had resumed his nightly visits to Morgana) the next morning to see Gaius sitting at his workbench, belching and flinched, wishing Merlin was here to see this. He'd gone to check on Morgana last night, and stay with her as he always did. She had to admit, it was nice to have her own room of sorts, and Merlin…well, sometimes during the spring season he tended to snore and she did NOT miss that.

"You look terrible uncle," she remarked cautiously, not wanting to let the goblin know that she knew something was wrong, "How much did you drink last night?"

"You don't look so good yourself," he sneered, "What's your excuse?"

"What?" she raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms as that. Really, this was just ridiculous with the enemies of Camelot. Did they never stop to consider that if someone started to act completely unlike themselves that people WOULDN'T notice? For Gaius, the kind, gentle, compassionate physician to turn into a greedy, grumbling, drunk...the goblin clearly was not one of the brighter enemies they'd faced if he thought they wouldn't realize.

"Shh," Gaius closed his eyes, rubbing his head, "Too much talking. I have a head like the inside of a drum, and a mouth like a badger's armpit."

"A…badger's…armpit?" she asked.

"Make yourself useful," he waved her off, "Go to the market and fetch my breakfast. Away! Go!" but she just eyed him a long while, "What is it? I said _go_!"

She nodded slowly, heading out, she needed to find Merlin and they had to find out how to get Gaius back, NOW, this goblin was starting to annoy her and the last thing she wanted was to accidently strangle or smother her uncle.

~8~

"Merlin!" Morgana called as he and Marayna were talking quietly in Arthur's chambers after the man had left for training.

"Rayna!" Gwen added as she followed her lady.

"What is it?" Merlin turned as Morgana ran to him, hugging him.

"What happened?" Marayna frowned.

"It's Gaius," Morgana began, "I went to see him, to talk about the creature that was freed, if there was anything I could do but…he seemed_ off_…so I made up some story about my nightmares returning and asked for a draught and…" she hesitated.

"What is it Gana?" Merlin asked.

"He said such horrible things to me," she told him, feeling tears prickle in her eyes, "Insulted me and…he said I was evil, that I had a darkness in me and wanted to see Camelot fall."

"Gana I'm so sorry," he hugged her, "I should have told you sooner, we think the goblin got to Gaius, enchanted him or something."

"It's ok," Morgana breathed in his scent, hugging him back, just...relieved it hadn't been the REAL Gaius to say that, not that the real Gaius ever would.

"Did he do anything to you Gwen?" Marayna turned to her.

"Not to me personally but...he was going through the towns," Gwen began, "Telling people a plague was striking and then charging them gold coins for a remedy."

"GOLD coins?" she looked at Merlin.

Gwen nodded, "I caught him _licking_ one."

"Oh no," they breathed, now realizing that their worst fear was the real one...the goblin hadn't _gotten_ to Gaius, it WAS Gaius!

~8~

"You're the goblin!" Merlin shouted, glaring at Gaius as he and Marayna entered the physician's chambers.

"Have you lost your mind?" 'Gaius' turned to them.

"No, but _you_ have! Or at least it's been taken over."

"Don't be ridiculous," Gaius scoffed.

"We have known Gaius all our lives," Marayna informed the goblin, her eyes narrowed, "And you are NOTHING like him. Did you honestly expect us not to notice?"

"Ah," the goblin chuckled, starting to grin maliciously, "You've got me. How d'you like my new body? It's a bit old and creaky, but it's ever so much fun."

"It's not _your_ body, it's Gaius's!" Marayna stomped her foot.

"What've you done with him?" Merlin demanded.

"He's still in here somewhere," the goblin waved them off.

"So give him back," Marayna insisted, "He's done nothing to you."

"Alright, you've convinced me," the goblin shrugged, but they both knew it was a trick, the creature wouldn't give in THAT easily, nor did he, "On second thought, I think I'll stay where I am. I like it in here. The freedom, the gold, the beer. Did I mention the gold?"

"If you hurt Gaius..." Merlin threatened, "We_ will_ kill you."

"You'll be killing _him_," it smirked, "You see the problem? I'm him, he's me. We're all jumbled up in here," he tapped his head, chuckling darkly.

Merlin and Marayna stared him down but he just walked out of the room, smug.

~8~

Arthur had called the court to give his report on a recent string of burglaries that had been striking everywhere, "There have been instances of vandalism around the palace, as well as a number of thefts. I, myself, was a victim. Unfortunately, the thief managed to elude me."

And in the brief silence that followed...Gwen farted beside Morgana as the court stared at her, but then even the Lady Morgana released a similar noise, the two women stiffening, utterly mortified.

"Double the guard," Uther ordered, trying to pretend like he hadn't heard a thing for the sake of their dignity, "I want the perpetrator found..." and then he, too, gave a very regal fart to join the others.

"Yes, My Lord," Arthur replied stiffly.

"The council is dismissed!" Uther waved them off quickly, but not quick enough as he farted once more, "Now!" he snapped and everyone ran out from the smell, except for Uther, Gaius, and Arthur, the two servants rushing out after the horrified women, "Gaius, is there anything you can do to treat this?"

Gaius smirked as Merlin and Marayna stopped Gwen and Morgana just outside the doors to tell them what had happened really happened, the enchantment behind it all he was sure. He'd noticed looks from Morgana and Gwen, tense looks, _knowing_ looks...well, that would prove to be useful he was sure of it.

~8~

"Tell me you didn't think that was funny," the goblin laughed as he literally skipped into the physician's chambers. They just gave him a stone cold glare, "Not even a little bit? Just a teeny-weeny bit?"

"You keep this up and you'll get Gaius killed," Marayna glared at him.

"Dear Maria," the goblin smirked, seeing her jaw tense in irritation, well why wouldn't it? Irritation was his specialty, "You underestimate me. I have cured Uther of his farting and his baldness. He is, he tells me, forever in my debt. I am a genius."

"This has to _stop_," Merlin agreed.

"I see no reason why," the goblin shrugged like it was no big deal, "Now, if you're quite finished, I'm going to the tavern," Merlin's eyes flashed as the door slammed shut, keeping the goblin in, "Well, well, well. So you have a secret of your own, Merlin," he knew that Marayna had magic, he'd seen her catching books and other things, but to find out the boy also had magic...that was something else entirely.

Marayna too a step up, "You get out of Gaius now or..."

"Or what?" the goblin challenged, "Your magic may be powerful, but _I_ have an advantage."

"And what's that?"

"_I_ can hurt _you_..." he threw a dagger at Merlin but Marayna's eyes flashed this time, stopping the dagger and sending it right back at Gaius, but making it stop just before his face, "Whereas, _you_ cannot hurt _me_ without hurting Gaius."

"We won't rest till we've found a way to force you out of Gaius's body," Merlin warned it.

The goblin just chuckled and headed out, he did love a challenge.

~8~

Merlin and Marayna ran to Arthur's rooms, trying to search for him, they had debated going to Morgana and Gwen but, so far the Goblin didn't seem to fully know about their involvement, just that they knew there was something wrong with Gaius, and that was how they wanted to keep it. They knew Arthur could help though, order an investigation or something more than what they could do as servant behind the scenes.

"Arthur?" Marayna called as they entered his room, but he wasn't there.

They turned and ran down another corridor, finally seeing him speaking with two guards, "Arthur, we have to talk to you," Merlin told him.

"Arrest them," Arthur ordered solemnly, not even hearing them out.

"What?!" Merlin gaped at him, completely startled.

"Arthur, what are you doing?!" Marayna demanded as the guards grabbed her and Merlin, dragging them through the halls, Arthur leading them on towards the Main Hall where the court had already been called, the Goblin-Gaius standing there, appearing serious and solemn as he stood near Uther.

"Is it true?" Uther glared as they were thrown onto their knees before him, "_You_ were responsible for the afflictions that I and other members of the court have suffered?"

"What?" Marayna shook her head.

"No!" Merlin shouted.

"Gaius," Uther turned to him.

Gaius stepped forward, holding the book that had been in the secret chamber, "I found this in your rooms. It's a book of spells and enchantments."

"You're_ kidding_ me," Marayna shook her head, looking at Arthur and Uther, hoping they'd see how utterly ridiculous this whole thing was, but both men looked stone-faced, "After god knows how many times we've both been accused of having magic only to be found innocent...NOW you think we're sorcerers?"

"He's lying," Merlin agreed, "That's not Gaius."

"What are you talking about?" Arthur frowned, hoping he wasn't coming across as grasping at straws, at any sort of explanation that would clear their names. But...with GAIUS himself vouching for their interest in magic, having brought the book to them, GAIUS...it was hard to find any sort of reason other than what Gaius was claiming..

"He's been possessed by a goblin," Marayna told him.

Gaius shook his head sadly, "They are reduced to making the most desperate and ridiculous accusations."

"You truly expect me to believe that _Gaius_ is a _goblin_?" Uther scoffed.

Marayna rolled her eyes, "Gee, I can't imagine why you wouldn't. I mean, we DID tell you your wife was a troll, you didn't believe us then, and we were right. Or what about the time we told you the Witchfinder was forging evidence, you didn't believe us, and we were _right_! Or what about…"

"Silence!" Uther cut in, the faintest of flushes on his cheeks as she brought up the past mistakes on his judgment, but he would NOT have it.

But then Marayna did something that shocked the entire court...

She stood up with a defiant shout of, "No!" and glared at the king, "I will _not_ be silent," she nearly spat the word. She and Merlin...she was just...tired, she was so tired of everyone pointing fingers at them, she was tired of people being accused of magic (even though they DID have it) and not even being given the chance to be heard. Uther, right now, it didn't matter that they were servants and servants were now meant to have more freedom to speak and defend themselves, no, it wasn't about being servants, it was about magic.

She was tired of Uther and his laws, of people not thinking they even stood a chance of proving themselves innocent. Uther forced everyone into silence when he heard 'magic' and she was NOT going to stand for it. After being accused of having magic and seeing so many people she cared about in the same predicament with no one to defend them...she was going to defend herself. She didn't care if she was executed for it anyway...

Enough was enough.

"WHEN have we been wrong before?" she asked of the king, "Answer me ONE single time and I will go quietly to the cells."

The court started to murmur among themselves when neither Uther nor Arthur could seem to answer.

"That alone should tell you what we say is as much the truth now as it was then," she continued.

Merlin nodded, slowly getting to his feet as well, feeling more confident with his sister beside him. She was right, she knew it, the nobles did, the court was starting to be aware. He was NOT going to back down this time, he was not going to leave his sister to face the wrath of Uther herself, not if he could help it, "It's controlling him. Gaius is still in there...somewhere."

"Do you have any proof of these accusations?" Arthur had to ask, praying they did.

"If we did, do you think the goblin would risk being here before us, knowing we could truly expose him?" Marayna countered logically.

"I fear that magic has corrupted you," the goblin cut in, sensing that he was losing the faith of the king and prince, and needing to bring up the topic of them having magic again. He knew that they'd be too careful now to let it be proven correct, but he knew Uther, he'd heard whispers while in his box, the king's paranoia was legendary, just the mention of it and he'd deafen himself to the pleas and defenses of others, "It pains me more than I can tell you."

"I really doubt that," Merlin scoffed.

"My Lord," he turned to Uther, "I have been harboring sorcerers. For that I offer the most sincere apology," he bowed his head.

"You were not to know, Gaius," Uther turned to him, taken in by the goblin's words and actions, "They have fooled us all."

Marana rolled her eyes, "My god how thick ARE you?!"

The court gasped and stared at her for that...did she really just call the KING thick?

"It's not US that's fooling you," Merlin glared, sticking by his sister, knowing that they were headed for the dungeons for her last remark, but not about to back down. She was right, she just...didn't know how to control her mouth at times.

"Enough!" Uther glared again, "You've been found guilty of using magic and enchantments. In accordance with our laws, you will pay with your life. Take them away."

Marayna looked at Arthur, shaking her head at him for his lack of faith in them, for how he hadn't openly defended them, while Merlin looked at Morgana and Gwen who were watching them in concern.

~8~

"Merlin!" Morgana breathed as she and Gwen snuck down to the dungeons, having managed to use her magic to put the guards to sleep, not willing to risk using her sleeping draught as the guards would remember seeing her offering them something to drink, "Here," she pulled out a set of keys, letting them out.

"Thanks Gana," he kissed her quickly the moment they were out.

"But you know we could have made it out without keys," Marayna smirked.

"And risk Uther thinking magic was involved?" Gwen shook her head with a smile, thinking logically, "Come on, they'll be waking soon."

They nodded, sneaking carefully through the halls and to Morgana's chambers, the one place no one would search for them.

"We jave to get that goblin out of Gaius," Marayna murmured, wincing as the warning bells went off, their cell must have been discovered.

"And how do we do that?" Gwen asked.

"We don't know," Merlin sighed, "We'll try to sneak back to Gaius's chambers. Maybe we can find something in one of his books."

"What can we do?" Morgana looked at them, wanting to help more.

"I think we should try to convince Arthur," Gwen cut in

Marayna scoffed, "I'm starting to think that whole thing is pointless. He turns on me at the drop of a hat, how can I trust him to be my husband if he's willing to arrest me without even investigating?!"

"As much as it pains me to say...he had to follow the law in front of the guards," Morgana reached out to touch her arm, "Like I have to follow Morgause when I'm around her even if I don't want to. I saw his face Rayna, he didn't believe it either."

Merlin nodded, "Maybe if you speak to him, Gana, he'll listen to you."

She nodded, willing to do anything, "Leave it to me."

~8~

However, at that very moment, in Arthur's chambers, Gaius-goblin entered, "Ah, Gaius, come in," Arthur smiled.

"I believe you wanted to see me?" Gaius asked.

"I wanted to thank you in person. It couldn't've been easy for you, exposing Merlin and Mara like that."

"My loyalty to Camelot and your father comes first," the creature gave a humble bow.

"And it is much appreciated," Arthur patted him on the back, "I should also thank you for ridding me of the most incompetent, rude, and lazy servants that Camelot has ever known."

"I'm just sorry you had to suffer their ineptitude for so long."

Arthur nodded at that, eyeing Gaius closely as he offered the man drink, "And when we catch them...you'll see them hang."

Gaius smiled, "Ah, I shall look forward to that," he lifted his drink in toast, only to see Arthur staring at him with a frown, "Is something wrong?"

"The Gaius I know would _never_ look forward to seeing Merlin or Mara hang no matter what they'd done," he pulled his sword, his plan to get the evidence he needed to free them succeeding, "They were telling the truth!"

The goblin just waved his hand, his eyes flashing as a vase behind Arthur smashed into the prince's head, knocking him out. He smirked down at the man, muttering a spell before he left.

~8~

Morgana quickly entered Arthur's chambers, in a rage, ready to let him have it...when she gasped, seeing him lying on the floor, "Arthur!" she ran to his side, shaking him awake and turning him over, biting her lip to keep from laughing at the sight of him _with donkey ears_, "Arthur, what's happened to you?"

He opened his mouth to answer but a braying came out. His eyes widened as he touched his face, then his ears, rushing to look in horror at his mirror, seeing himself.

Morgana smiled, "Let me guess, Gaius do this to you?"

He nodded.

"Because he's possessed by a goblin, just like Merlin and Rayna said?"

He nodded again.

She smiled at him softly for her next question, "And you confronted him to prove it?"

He made a braying noise as though indignant that she would doubt he wouldn't.

"Of course you did," she nodded, standing, "They're working on a plan. We'll figure out what to do. Just...stay here."

He brayed and she turned around, seeing the pleading look on his face, "Don't worry," she promised, "I _won't_ tell Rayna about this."

He nodded, letting out a breath of relief as she stepped out.

~8~

"Arthur's a _donkey_?" Marayna laughed as Morgana chuckled with her and Merlin and Gwen.

"He has the ears of a donkey," she nodded, "And the voice. He...he's _braying_."

"He's...braying?" Merlin smirked, bursting out laughing along with his sister.

"It's not funny, Merlin," Gwen tried to keep from laughing as well.

"No. No, no, of course not. Arthur with the ears of a donkey, what's funny about that?"

"Still," Morgana sighed, sobering, "If Uther finds him, he'll blame you two instead of Gaius. Did you find anything?"

"We think so," Marayna nodded, showing her a book Gwen had managed to sneak them from the physician's chambers, "If the host body dies, the goblin dies with it."

"So, if Gaius is dying, the goblin will be forced to leave him," Merlin agreed.

Gwen frowned, "You...want to kill Gaius?"

"Just briefly," Merlin winced at how that sounded.

"It wouldn't be there first time," Marayna added, trying to reassure them and herself as well.

Morgana frowned, "Who else did you 'almost kill?'"

"Arthur," they both answered promptly.

The women nodded as though that were completely understandable.

"Once the goblin flees," Marayna continued, "We can trap it back into the box it came from. It was lead-lined, apparently that's the only thing that can hold it."

Morgana smiled at that, "Sounds like a plan."

~8~

Merlin and Marayna stood in the physician's chambers, Gwen keeping lookout as they worked on creating the same potion they'd given Arthur to help stop the troll, Morgana was with Arthur to keep others out of his chambers and from seeing the state he was in.

"Hurry up!" Gwen hissed.

"We're doing our best," Merlin told her, "Gaius normally deals with anything to do with poisons."

"And you wouldn't believe how hard it is to keep awake during his lectures on anatomy and botany," Marayna remarked, "How Morgana does it is beyond me."

Merlin smiled as the potion was finished and poured it over the gold and jewelry in a money chest they'd found, where the goblin was keeping all his stolen treasures, "As soon as the goblin's out of Gaius," Merlin turned to Gwen, "You must give him the antidote. We only have a few seconds or Gaius will, you know, die."

"He's coming!" Gwen rushed over.

Merlin handed her the antidote as Marayna put the chest back where the goblin had hidden it, the three of them running into their chambers to watch as the Gaius-goblin entered, of course, moving right to the chest and examining the contents, licking the gold coins as he always seemed to do.

"Ugh, that's disgusting," Gwen grimaced.

The goblin stood, starting to stumble as the potion that was lacing the coins took effect. They ran out of the chamber with the box the goblin had been trapped in that they'd snuck out of the library, "You've poisoned me," the goblin pointed at them accusingly, "You poisoned Gaius!"

"Leave his body while you still can!" Merlin threatened.

The goblin did just that, flew out of Gaius as a little ball of light and flew around the room, Gaius falling to the floor.

"Gwen now!" Marayna called, "Get him the antidote!"

Gwen ran towards Gaius, but the goblin flew past her and she stumbled, falling into a table, dropping dozes of other potion bottles to the floor, "Rayna," she gasped, tossing her the bottle as she tripped to the ground, the girl catching it and rushing to Gaius's side.

"Back in the box!" Merlin called to the goblin.

"You'll have to catch me first!" it cheered, flying around the room, turning back into a little imp.

Merlin chased it, till it turned into a ball of light once more and flew into his mouth…only for Merlin to spit it back out and into the box, slamming it shut and locking it with magic.

"Oh, no let me out, I promise I won't do it again!"

"Uncle!" Marayna gasped as she watched him closely, having administered the antidote, letting out a breath of relief when Gaius started to wake, "Oh thank god," she hugged him tightly before he even fully opened his eyes, Merlin running to do the same, Gwen shrugging and joinging the group hug as well.

~8~

Uther stared down at Gaius as he stood before the king, the court called, Merlin and Marayna on either side of him, behind him, "You mean to tell me it was _you_ who was responsible for the, er...baldness, the flatulence, the boils, and Arthur's donkey ears?" Uther asked the man.

"I fear I was, My Lord," he nodded, "Or at least the _goblin_ was while I was possessed by it."

"Magic has the power to corrupt even the most honorable of men."

Marayna rolled her eyes at that.

"Indeed," Gaius's lips pursed at that, "Though, I must assure you that Merlin and Rayna were entirely innocent."

"Then they are pardoned," Uther told them, waving his arm as though it excused everything, the goblin struggling inside the box in Merlin's arms, their proof that the goblin DID exist.

"May I suggest it is kept where no one will ever open it?"

"See that it's placed in the vaults," Uther ordered one of the guards, "Gaius...do you know who was responsible for releasing the goblin in the first place?"

"I'm afraid I've no idea, My Lord," Gaius bowed his head in apology.

"Now. Secure it now," he called to the guards as they took the box from Merlin, "Court is dismiss…"

"No," Marayna cut in, stepping before her uncle.

"I beg your pardon?" Uther turned to her, startled she would interrupt.

"I said no," she crossed her arms, "You were going to have us _executed_, again, for magic we didn't use, again, without listening to us...again, when we were right all along, _yet again_. This has happened far too much don't you think?" she asked, shaking her head at how often this happened, "And for all those times we have let it go, but you should have known better," she chastised, Uther staring at her for her audacity to do so, and before the court, "The mark of a great man is to learn from the mistakes of others," she added, "To learn from the past so he might avoid such turns in the future. And that has not happened, my Lord. I mean no disrespect but…Merlin and I, after_ all_ we have done for Camelot, I believe we should have earned your trust by now. And if we have...then we deserve an apology from you."

The court started to whisper at that, Arthur shifting uneasily, fully expecting his father to order her death for insolence and cheek, for making such demands.

But Uther surprsied them all as he...paused, seeming to actually be considering her words, the wisdom behind it. Ygraine had done much the same, chastised him in the same tone, about things like this, about things he did and the way he acted. The thought struck him once more that...she might just make a great queen if only she were nobleborn hitting him again. He could admit he was...testing her to see if she possessed the qualities of a queen even without the noble upbringing and this...was something he would have expected Morgana to do, though actually said with a bit more...decorum.

"You are…correct," he nodded, making Arthur turn sharply to stare at him, "You and your brother have proven your loyalty many times over and it should not have been assumed you were breaking the law. And for that…I _do_ offer my most sincere apologies."

The court stared wide-eyed at that, Arthur gaping openly as Morgana and Gwen and Gaius smiled.

Marayna nodded, "Thanks!" she spoke cheerfully, before she turned to walked out of the room as though she'd only been given a pat on the head instead of gotten the KING to apologize to her and Merlin, Merlin chuckling as he went with her.

"Still don't know how she _does_ that," Arthur muttered, now she was even getting the best of his FATHER!

And, given the way the court was whispering, the small, amused smiles on their faces...they'd be very disappointed if he didn't marry her one day.

She amused them.

~8~

Gaius smiled as he stood beside Merlin and Marayna, at the training grounds, "I see you've been busy undoing the goblin's magic," he remarked.

"As usual, we get no thanks whatsoever," Merlin sighed.

"Since releasing the goblin was entirely _your_ fault, Merlin, I'm not sure you deserve any thanks."

"Arthur doesn't know that," Marayna smirked.

"For your sake, you better hope it stays that way."

Arthur knocked over a knight fighting and laughed, everyone laughing with him, till his laugh became a bray. The laughter stopped and everyone grinned as Arthur cleared his throat.

"Merlin," Gaius warned with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Wasn't me!" he swore.

"It's too good to resist," Marayna smirked, nudging her uncle as he laughed.

A/N: Lol, I died at the donkey part :) I also really wanted someone to just express who ridiculous it was for them to be accused and believed of sorcery without proof :( Like...even when they DO use magic, no one can actually prove it was THEM or that they used magic and yet Uther believes it on principle alone :(

Sorry this was a little late, I went to save the notes on reviews and my computer went to that 'webpage cannot be displayed' thing and I had to redo them now :(

Some notes on reviews...

I can say that Arthur will find out about Marayna's issue with having children yup :( His reaction to finding out she has magic will be...well, he'll feel quite a few things ;)

I can't wait for Gwaine either :) That was one of my favorites to write :)

I can't say when Marayna will confront Morgause, that'll be a surprise, but I can say that I have a big twist for the Coming and the Darkest Hour ;)

There'll be a couple more chapters like the last one yup ;)

Oh Marayna will be made aware of her qualities that would make her a good queen soon, and it might come from a place she's not expecting ;)

Not quite an Evy reference, but I love her own eyebrow too :) I was reading a few wikia sites to try and work out what Gaius's relation to Merlin was and saw some references to Gaius's 'eyebrow of doom' though I was going to call it that before I saw those lines, it just made it all the better :)

I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far! And I'm glad you liked Sparks and Flames too ^-^

I think the Merlin series is over yup :( But I can say that I have an original sequel thing planned for the future to continue the story beyond the show ;)

Oh I think I'd die if I only updated once a week too, I love writing way too much to do that :)


	5. An Empty Head

An Empty Head

Arthur winced as he walked through the woods with Marayna, feeling rather disappointed in himself to be sure. He'd…crossed a line a short while ago and Marayna was holding her usual grudge against him for it. Only a week ago she and Merlin had been accused of sorcery when Gaius had been possessed by a goblin and had the old man profess their use of magic. His father had all too quickly believed Gaius, HE had been more hesitant, recalling all the times, as Marayna had brought up, that they had been accused of such a crime and found innocent. He hadn't believed it at all really, but the fact that he'd followed his father's law and had them arrested had upset Marayna quite a bit.

He couldn't blame her.

If he had been able to, he would have told them to flee Camelot till he could come up with a way to clear their names. He'd been about to go find them, knowing where they'd be due to the chores he'd given them, after he'd finished telling the guards to arrest them on sight, as per his father's orders. He'd just finished telling the men that when his servants just HAD to come barreling around the corner and shouting for him down the hall. What else could he do but arrest them as he'd just ordered the guards to do? He couldn't NOT do it in front of the men, they'd report it to his father no matter if he ordered them quiet and then he'd never be able to clear them of the crime they couldn't have committed.

Marayna had taken it the wrong way though, she'd interpreted his arrest of them as him believing his father, even after he'd devised his own way to get proof to show she and Merlin were innocent, the fact that he hadn't openly opposed his father more than he did had troubled her. He felt incredibly guilty about it as well. It was just…his father had just suffered a terrible mental affliction and he was trying to be understanding of it, he was trying NOT to stress his father out more than he already was. His father's affliction had already weakened the people's faith in his ability and capability to rule with a sound mind and he had tried not to oppose his father till he'd gathered his strength back. He needed to provide Camelot with a united front when it came to his father.

He was literally caught between a rock and a hard place in that choice, cater to his father or defend his love's honor…he should have picked Marayna, something he really should have already known to do as well. He had…suffered his father's disappointment in the past and, oddly enough, the years with Marayna and Merlin had only served to show him that, at times, it was ok to have his father disappointed in him if it meant he was doing the right thing. He…wasn't as affected by his father's frowns as before, he was starting to think that Marayna (and even Merlin)'s opinion of him mattered more than his father's. He should have defended her from the start, because he'd seen HER disappointment in him and it broke his heart. He hated it when she frowned at him, when she shook her head at him, when she just…was so let down by him that he felt like an utter failure. HER opinion was the one that mattered most to him at this point in his life, he should have known to pick her.

Because she'd started to call him 'My Lord' again, a sure sign she was angry with him or thought he was being an idiot or pompous or ridiculous about something. He hated that too, he hated that more than her disappointed glances. He'd tried to do as Merlin had once suggested and do something meaningful with her, prove to her how much she meant to him, how much he cared for and loved her but…so far, it was not going as well as he'd hoped. He had considered a gift of some sort, but…he'd bought her quite a few things in the past and he didn't want to make it seem like he was trying to buy her affections, even though all his gifts to her had enormous thought and sentiment behind them. So he'd thought he could give her and Merlin the day off and just…take a walk with her, the two of them, to just be together, without fearing for Camelot or his father watching or the others whispering about them. He wanted to spend a day with his beloved…but she was still very cross with him and he was running out of things to do in the woods that would help her forgive him.

He couldn't begin to say how much he wished this whole thing had never happened, that the goblin hadn't been released to cause the harm it had, that he hadn't not defended Marayna more, that the whole thing could just be forgotten about now that the goblin was back in its box, her name was cleared, and his father had even publicly (well, before the court which was public enough given how they gossiped) apologized to her and Merlin for it.

He looked up suddenly when he heard a scream to see someone tackling Marayna to the ground, a man in a black cloak of some sort. He took off running, his face set in a determined expression as he plowed into the man just as he pushed himself to his feet…only for the man to turn just as he reached him, stepping to the side enough where, given his momentum, he ran right past the man. The enemy grabbed his arm and swung him around, his one arm coming around Arthur's neck, another grabbing a dagger and holding it to his neck.

"Now!" the man shouted, confusing Arthur for only a moment when a second man ran out of the trees, a sort of light swirling around his hand, a sorcerer!

"Unhand me!" Arthur struggled, trying to get as far away from the dagger held to his neck as possible. This had clearly been a very well planned and well thought out attack by two people who had obviously been watching him closely either at spars or in tournaments. For the man to so easily side step him and grab him, he had to be expecting a move like that to do so so fluidly. That meant they'd seen him fight, they knew his moves…

"Kristoff do it now!" the man holding him shouted as the sorcerer pulled his arm back and threw the light at them.

"Arthur!" Marayna cried, having pulled herself to her feet and run at them, shoving into the both of them, the man not having expected her to recover as quickly as she had and went toppling over, releasing Arthur in the process…none of them needed to know she'd used a bit of magic to help take the man down…

Only to get hit by the bolt of light in the process and be sent flying backwards.

"Mara!" Arthur scrambled to his feet, taking only three steps towards her automatically before he recalled the sorcerer behind him, one who clearly had malicious intent. He turned and ran for the two men, but they were already disappearing through the trees. He knew, if he went after them right now the path would be clear and easy to follow, he might be able to take the two men out on his own but…there was no telling how many others there might be. It could be a trap and he couldn't risk that, not with Marayna hurt...

Arthur spun around, his heart starting to beat from when it had stopped in seeing her fly into a tree, when he saw Marayna slowly pushing herself off the ground to sit up rubbing the side of her head.

"Mara!" he rushed over to her, dropping to his knees before her, "Are you alright?"

Marayna blinked at him, "I'm fine," she reassured him, "But I do have one question, if it's not too much trouble?"

Arthur frowned at how uncertain she sounded, as though she didn't ask him ample questions already, "What is it?"

She frowned, hesitating, "Who are you?"

Arthur blinked this time, not quite sure if she was going to go off on a rant about how he was Uther's son and he should expect things like that so long as his father continued to hunt the families of those who had magic and so on, "Arthur."

"Right," she nodded "And…who am I?"

Arthur stared at her for a long moment, before he started laughing, "Good one Mara, you almost had me going…"

"My name's Mara?" she asked, cutting in and looking at him far more seriously than he'd ever seen her look.

"Marayna," he frowned, "This isn't funny."

"I'm not laughing," she countered.

No, she wasn't, Arthur realized, his heart falling into his stomach at that realization, "Come on," he took her hand, helping her up, heaving with relief when she didn't pull her hand away, "We need to get you to Gaius."

"Who's Caius?" she frowned.

"_G_aius," he corrected, "And…he's someone who can help."

Or he prayed he was, because he knew it would hurt the man as much as it had him for Marayna to ask who the man was, not knowing or seeming to remember that he was her uncle. He truly hoped that this was not the case, that…that the sorcerer hadn't made her forget, forget either just him or forget everything, and he prayed it wasn't permanent. He just…he could see it in her eyes, it wasn't Marayna, it wasn't her looking back at him but someone with blank, confused eyes that didn't have her fire in them.

Whatever that sorcerer had done to her to make her like this…he was going to kill the man.

~8~

"Aya!" Merlin called the second Arthur and Marayna had arrived back at the castle, the boy rushing through the courtyard to pull her into a tight hug for a moment before the girl realized she was being hugged by a 'stranger,' and pulled away. Merlin frowned, seeing her step back from him, "What happened Aya?"

"Aya?" Marayna frowned at that, feeling herself getting frustrated, "I thought my name as Mara!"

"Rayna, thank goodness you're ok!" Morgana gushed as the noblewoman ran down the steps of the castle and over to her, hugging her as well.

She and Merlin had been in her chambers, her showing Merlin how she could scry with crystals now (though she still needed a bit of work, she had gotten the basics down), when suddenly they'd both froze, clutching the side of their heads as a familiar high-pitched note went off in their minds…something they'd only felt once before, when the High Priestess of the Old Religion was injured in a magical attack, when Marayna had been injured.

Merlin had been frantic, pacing in her chambers, too agitated to watch the gates for the duo to arrive incase…incase Marayna wasn't with them. So she had set herself as watchwoman, waiting till she saw the duo arrive and told Merlin, he'd bolted out of the room the second she'd said Marayna as back. They were both just so thrilled to see she was alive and back with them.

"Which is it?" Marayna demanded, pulling away from Morgana as well and taking a step back from them all, feeling more than a bit overwhelmed, "Is it Mara or Rayna or Aya or Marayna or is there some other name I've not been told about?"

"Well, you mentioned a friend from East Anglia calls you Ray sometimes…something about him being drunk and getting your name wrong and…"

But Marayna just shook her head, "Please," she whispered, "Just…I just want to know what my name is."

The trio looked at each other, the horrible truth Arthur had realized hitting them as well, Marayna had no idea who she was or…given how she'd reacted to Merlin the same way she had Morgana and Arthur…anything about her life.

"It's Marayna," Merlin murmured.

"Marayna," Marayna tested it, "That sounds funny…are you sure it's not Maria?" she frowned, seeing all of them wincing at her, all of them aware, though she was not, how she felt about people calling her Maria, "What?"

Morgana shook her head and looked at Arthur, "Arthur what happened?"

He just swallowed, "We need to get her to Gaius first, then I'll explain."

"Who IS Gaius?" Marayna asked as she followed them off, not quite sure why she trusted these people. By rights when the strange, though rather handsome, blonde man demanded she follow him, she should have just kicked him down and run away…but he'd taken her hand so gently that she'd just…felt like she could believe him and had gone with him.

Her mother would probably kill her for trusting a stranger so quickly…if she had a mother. DID she have a mother? Ooh…this was starting to make her feel light-headed and dizzy but also weighed down, to realize she didn't even remember her own mother.

"The Court Physician," Merlin answered her, "Also our Uncle."

"OUR Uncle?" she eyed Merlin.

"Yes," he swallowed hard, never having thought he'd ever see the day where he'd have to remind her who their family was.

"And you're…"

"Merlin," he looked at her, "I'm your older brother."

Marayna nodded slowly at that and glanced at Morgana, seeing the woman looked similar to her and Merlin, black hair, light eyes, pale, "Is she our sister then?"

Arthur, despite the situation, nearly choked on his laughter at the looks of disgust Merlin and Morgana were exchanging at that, "No!" they both shouted.

"I'm as good as though," Morgana reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, seeing Marayna flinch at their sudden outburst, "I'm…" she smiled, knowing she didn't have to deny it around her or Arthur (even if Marayna didn't remember at the moment), "I'm Merlin's betrothed. I'm Morgana."

"Oh," Marayna nodded as though she understood completely, yet the three of them were fairly certain she didn't, "Ok."

"Gaius is in here," Merlin led them to the physician's chambers, hoping Gaius was in, he was supposed to go on his rounds about town in a few minutes and this…this couldn't wait they feared.

Gaius looked up, a small smile on his face that fell the moment he saw the looks on the three faces and the confused expression on the young girl with them

"Uncle," Merlin began, "We need your help."

"What happened?"

Arthur sighed, leading Marayna over to the workbench for Gaius to examine her, all four of them watching in despair as she sat on the actual bench instead of on top of the table like she was prone to doing, before he began to tell them of the attack and the light.

~8~

"It is as I feared," Gaius sighed as he finished his examination of Marayna after Arthur explained what had happened in the forest, "It is a memory charm."

"A memory charm?" Arthur frowned.

"Yes," Gaius nodded solemnly, "Depending on the skill, power, and intent of the caster, a memory charm can cause someone to forget the last few minutes to…" he gestured at Marayna, "Their entire life."

"But why would anyone want to do that to Rayna?" Morgana frowned.

"It wasn't meant for her," Arthur reminded them quietly, "The sorcerer was aiming for me…Mara pushed me out of the way. Which was quite stupid by the way," he added to Marayna.

Marayna just frowned at that, "I'm sorry?" she offered, "I'm sure I didn't mean to offend you…"

Arthur swallowed hard at that and looked away, that was just…the most un-Marayna like thing she could say. Marayna, the real Marayna, would have just rolled her eyes and made some sort of quip about his skills being rusty if he'd gotten caught so easily and how he shoved her to the side often enough too and then thrown 'Artie' in there just to irritate him, not caring at all if she offended him or not. To see her sitting there so quietly, apologizing…it wasn't her, and that made him uncomfortable.

Well look at that, he never thought he'd see the day where he was HAPPY his maidservant was so vulgar and coarse and stubborn.

"If that is true sire, they may have been hoping to turn you against Camelot," Gaius contemplated that, "If they aimed to erase your entire memory, they could have easily convinced you of anything, made you an enemy within the walls. As it does pain me to say this, but…it may be most fortunate that Rayna intercepted the spell."

Arthur just glanced at Marayna, looking at her intently, finding he couldn't agree with Gaius at all. This…wasn't her, just the way she was sitting screamed at him that this was not his Mara. She was sitting with her hands on her lap, her back straight, her ankles crossed, looking at each of them attentively…Marayna should always be sitting on top of that table, with her feet on the bench, spaced enough for her to rest her elbows on her legs and lean forward a little, smiling as she either worked on something or did something with her hands to give her the vague impression that she wasn't listening at all…even though she was listening intently.

Even the few minutes he'd spent with her she was just…not herself. She was quiet, she was polite, she wasn't sarcastic. She barely argued with him the entire way back to the castle, didn't chastise him for how his lack of attention had nearly gotten him killed, she hadn't called him a prat or a clotpole or anything on the way. And it…hurt. It actually hurt that she wasn't acting like herself. For all his complaining about how she and Merlin acted, it was all in jest, he…he loved the way they both acted, their personalities, their mannerisms and quirks, and he didn't want it to change no matter what he might say. At first, perhaps he'd have wished for proper servants, but they had grown on him too much for him to ever want them to change that drastically. Marayna had acted a proper servant once when they'd had a falling out and it had nearly broken his heart and spirit to see it.

He was starting to think that the reason they didn't act like servants was because…they just weren't meant to BE servants. There was something about the both of them, the way they spoke, the way they acted, the way they carried themselves that screamed that they were meant to do bigger and better things. He liked to think that Marayna was meant to be a queen, a queen to his king, and that Merlin (given his affection and betrothal to Morgana) was meant to at least be a minor nobleman or a member of the court. Even though he knew that Merlin hadn't even considered it when he'd asked Morgana to marry him (he probably STILL hadn't thought of it either), but…the only way the court would accept their union was if Merlin was advanced to the title of a nobleman. The king could bestow that honor onto those who offered a great service to Camelot, and he knew Merlin had, more than half the nobles there really. Merlin had once remarked that they couldn't wed while Uther was king, and they were willing to wait. He knew, in their minds, they'd just wanted to be married, Merlin to Morgana and she to him, it didn't enter their minds that it would be a noblewoman to a servant and that THAT was unacceptable. He would, without a doubt, bestow some sort of minor title on Merlin when he was king, making their union legitimate to the court, yes. He knew Merlin hadn't proposed to Morgana for the purpose of advancing his title, but he knew that that was what would have to happen for Merlin to wed her and be accepted as her husband.

He truly felt that THAT was the reason neither of his servants had truly adapted to the decorum and responsibilities of a servant in the 4 or so years they'd been with him…because they were destined to be…greater than that.

And looking at Marayna now, the way she was sitting, holding herself…if this was how she acted without her memories…she acted like a queen. Her most raw and exposed self was queenly, which should have thrilled him as it would mean that he was right and she WAS destined to be his queen, it should have made him giddy…but it just broke his heart. Because Marayna, he wanted her as she was, perhaps not a queen in a traditional sense, but…she would have been the perfect queen for Camelot. The way she was naturally he wouldn't change for anything and he wanted THAT girl to be his wife and future queen, not…not someone who actually acted like a queen.

Oh his father would probably kill him for thinking that, for thinking how…unqueenly he wanted his queen to be.

But Marayna had qualities that fit with HIM, she made HIM happy, and a happy king made for a better kingdom he was sure of it. Marayna had been right when she'd told him that the people feared his father more than they loved him. He'd had a difficult time after his mother died, had hardened himself, been most unhappy and that affected everything he did. He was harsher, less lenient, less forgiving, and that terrified people that he shut himself out when it came to magic and dealt swift executions. HE didn't want to be that way, he had the respect and loyalty of the people, he had their love, and he didn't want to give that up and lose the love he himself could feel…something he knew would happen if he was forced to marry someone other than Marayna. That necklace she wore, it was a literal representation of his feelings, she truly DID hold his heart and even if she gave the necklace back, she would ALWAYS hold it. He would never be able to love another the way he did her, he would never be able to love his wife if it was not her and he'd be miserable…he'd turn into his father and, as much as he did respect the man, he did not want to be feared more than loved.

But most of all…he just wanted to be loved by HER, and right now, Marayna was looking at him with wide, innocent eyes that held no sort of emotion in them.

"You weren't hurt when I pushed you, were you sire?" she asked him, concerned.

Arthur winced at that, hearing her call him 'sire' in such a plain and everyday context. Call him Arthur, Artie, hell call him clotpole and he'd be happy…but not sire. Sire was meant to be used by her when she was proud of him, "Excuse me," he murmured, turning to leave the room, unable to be around her any longer and see her so…not her.

Marayna frowned and looked at the three still standing before her, "Did I say something to offend him?"

"Not just now," Merlin told her with a sad smile, "But I think he was hoping you would. You…tend to say a lot of things that could be offensive, but he never gets mad," he added quickly, seeing her eyes widen in shock that she was so rude, "I think he secretly likes it when you call him a clotpole or a prat or…"

"Why would I call him that?" she shook her head, "He seems very nice."

"Gaius," Morgana turned to the man as he stood there looking contemplative, "Did the spell affect her personality too?" she really had to know, she could tell it was making ALL of them uncomfortable to see her acting so…prim and proper for lack of a better word. It just…it was jarring how NOT Marayna she was being.

"I'm afraid not," he sighed, "Our memories, our experiences, are what make us who we are. We are like blank pages to be filled by the things that happen to us in the past, they shape the people we are…with her memories wiped clean…" he shook his head, leaving it there, the meaning clear to all of them.

"Is it…is it going to be permanent?" Merlin asked quietly.

"I…can't say," Gaius admitted, grim, as they all looked at Marayna, the girl looking down at the ground, actually starting to become a little afraid that she might not remember anything ever again.

~8~

A week.

A week was how long it had taken for Arthur to grow completely hopeless that Marayna's memories would return. He had tried everything he could think of to try and either jog her memory or try and get some sort of reaction out of her that Marayna HAD to have buried somewhere inside her. But there was nothing. He…admitted he hadn't been quite as explicit about his feelings for her and the relationship they'd had in his attempts though, more so because he didn't want to embarrass himself or her in the flub he knew he'd make of it all and…if this version of Marayna revealed that she didn't feel that way for him or didn't think she could…he'd be devastated.

Even though it wasn't the Marayna he loved, and by rights he might be a man that SHE didn't love as a result, he just…he didn't want to see HER, her image, telling him she didn't love or care for him. He could understand even more the hell he'd put her through when he'd told her the same years ago.

So he tried to bring up little references to things she'd done in the past, she'd laugh about it, thinking he was talking about another woman he was fond of. He told her stories about how rubbish a servant she was, and she'd apologized and worked twice as hard to be a decent one. He tried to bring her places where they'd had a moment together, she just commented on how lovely it was and how beautiful his horses were and so on.

She was truly acting the part of a servant now, and that irritated him more than he thought it ever would. She was quiet, efficient, she always did as she was told, she did it without complaint. He'd even given her more ridiculous tasks, just trying to spark her familiar anger, but she just smiled, bowed her head, and went to do it without question! And he knew he shouldn't be angry about it, he knew his father would have been thrilled that at least one of his servants was acting properly, but he hated it. He hated it so much that…he couldn't stand it anymore.

"Mara…yna," he caught himself from calling her just Mara, after the mess of names she'd learned about she'd requested each of them just call her by ONE name as she wasn't used to even her birth name, to remember more would be difficult. He didn't know why, it wasn't that there were so many names. Everyone called her Rayna, hardly anyone used her full name unless it was her mother and she was in trouble, only Merlin called her Aya due to mispronunciation as a child (it had been hardest for HIM to switch to calling her by her full name, having called her Aya for 20 years), only that friend of hers he'd never met called her Ray apparently because of a drunken mistake. HE was the only one who called her Mara, her name really was ridiculously long though!

"Yes sire?" she turned to him with a bright smile from where she was polishing one of his candlestick holders, making him wince at that, she insisted on calling him that it seemed, trying to maintain respect.

"Marayna I…" he swallowed hard, no, he had to do this now, and he had to do it firmly, "You're dismissed. I no longer require your services."

More like he couldn't bear it any longer.

He just…he wanted HIS Mara back, not some person who looked like her but wasn't her. It hurt too much to see her every single day acting so unlike herself. It broke his heart to have her look at him as though he were a prince who should be respected simply for being a prince than because she had grown to respect him and care for him on her own. And…it killed him that he looked into her eyes and saw none of the love that had built between them shining out at him.

He just…he couldn't do it anymore.

"Have I done something to offend you sire?" she blinked and frowned, "If I have then I apologize, I didn't mean to…"

"No," he cut in, needing her to stop. Marayna should have just rolled her eyes if she'd offended him and punched him in the arm and told him to suck it up or something. Or used some sort of past indiscretion against him, "You're just…I don't require your services, you're excused from your duties as servant," he gestured to the door.

He had to get her out of there because she looked disappointed and sad and hurt and even though it wasn't HER, she still had Marayna's face and he hated seeing that look in it.

"I…" she began before setting the holder and polish down, "I apologize for whatever I might have done to upset you," she gave him a small curtsy, "It was an honor to serve you sire."

"Please," he called, his voice cracking at that, "Just…go."

Marayna frowned at the crack, but nodded and did as she was ordered, another thing the real her wouldn't have done, he realized. She would have hounded him and done whatever she could to get him to say what was wrong so she could fix it…even if it meant sitting on him and tickling him till he couldn't breathe, this Marayna just…walked out.

She didn't care for him at all, did she?

~8~

Arthur would be quite wrong in that assessment though, as Marayna walked through the halls of Camelot, heading for (where she hoped) the physician's quarters were, all she could think about was how sad and hurt Arthur had looked and sounded. She knew it had something to do with her, with her memory loss, with how she acted, but…she didn't know what. She DID know that she hated seeing him looking so sad though, it…it broke her heart and she didn't know why.

"Ay…Marayna," Merlin greeted as he turned a corner, a basket of the prince's clean laundry in hand, "What's wrong?" he blinked, seeing her expression, "What happened?"

"Um…Prince Arthur sacked me," she told him.

Merlin let out a long breath, for once…he actually wasn't angry with Arthur for doing something like that. Marayna had been beyond furious when Arthur had sacked HIM the first time, had punched him for it, but this…he found he couldn't be cross with the prince for doing this to his sister, not in this situation. Because he knew how hurt Arthur was by how the new Marayna acted, he'd heard Arthur lamenting about it to Morgana over the last week, and he honestly couldn't blame the man for not wanting to expose himself to a Marayna-who-wasn't-Marayna as the prince called it. HE hurt being around his sister and have her look at him like he was a vague acquaintance, he couldn't imagine how hard it was for Arthur to look at the woman he loved and have her stare blankly back. He didn't even want to try and picture it with him and Morgana.

"I'm sorry," was all he could offer.

"I just…I don't know what I've done wrong," she added, "I've tried to be a good servant and…"

"That's…that's actually the reason," Merlin cut in gently, "You, especially, A-Marayna, you were never just a servant to him."

"What do you mean?" she blinked, confused at that.

He sighed, shifting the basket so he could rub the back of his neck, "You and Arthur, before you got hit with that spell, you were…um…something of a couple."

"We were!?" she gaped, completely surprised by that, "But…how? I'm a servant and he's a prince and…"

"And that didn't matter to him," he shrugged, "It doesn't matter to him. He's the one who gave you that necklace," he nodded at it as Marayna reached up to touch it, "And the sais you found in your boots, and a few other things," he looked at his sister closely, "He…it's hard for Arthur to see you like this and have you not remember anything you've shared with him."

"Oh…" she breathed, "I didn't know…" but now that she did…she couldn't blame the prince, and suddenly…all the places he'd taken her to, the stories he'd told her, it made sense. He was trying to help jog her memory by taking her to places that were important to them…and she'd completely missed it.

"I um," he moved the basket back before him, "I have to take these to Arthur, will you be alright?"

She nodded, "I was just…heading to see Gaius."

Merlin's jaw tensed at that, even hearing her call Gaius 'Gaius' hurt them, she was the one who called him 'uncle' most of the time, "Right," he nodded as well, "I'll come and see you after I've tended to Arthur."

She didn't really respond to that, though he didn't blame her, she was far too stunned to learn about her history with the prince and just sort of wandered off down the hall as he continued on.

~8~

It was a vague and distant thought in Marayna's mind that she hoped Merlin wouldn't be too concerned when he returned to the physician's chambers to find her not there. But she just…she'd gone in there and…it was weird. Because she felt like she was starting to see things. She'd glimpsed a flower lying on her pillow of her bed with a note attached to it, but when she'd turned to pick it up…it was gone. She'd gone out to ask Gaius if someone had dropped a note by to begin with and stopped short, because she swore she could see herself lying on a cot with Arthur and Merlin crouched on either side of her before it was gone when Gaius called out to her.

She'd had to leave, too…overwhelmed and concerned with what she'd seen. She hadn't said a word to Gaius though. There was just…some sort of fear in her that if she said it someone would cry magic and she had heard enough from Merlin and Morgana about the King (Uther was his name) and his hatred for it that she didn't want anyone to get hurt. She didn't think it was an enchantment or whatever those might be just…maybe all the stories that Merlin and Arthur had told her were getting to her? Yes, they had to be making her see things.

She'd hoped that some fresh air would do her good, and had just…wandered through the castle absently, looking around, hoping something might appear familiar. And…a few things did. She saw a feathered hat that the launderers were attempting to clean, she'd seen two knights dueling in a small arena (and promptly fled for some reason), she'd wandered to the stables and seen a lovely golden horse with a few bad scars on her hide…which made her concerned as she too had scars like that and made her flinch as though recalling what had made them. She'd gone to the Lower Towns and the market, had a handful of children just on the cusp of being 10 or 11 running over to hug her, thanking her something about bread and cheese? She'd just smiled politely and they'd run off to a few craftsmen she'd seen. She went to the woods last though. The Lower Towns and the Castle were full of images, it was starting to make her think she was seeing ghosts no…projections or images or something as they were all of people she knew were still alive, her among them, running down halls or hiding behind pillars, she could see monsters attacking the courtyard and diving out of the sky.

It was all too much and she hoped the calmness of the woods would help her. The lake she'd passed had done little thought. She felt like she saw small blue lights buzzing around it, had thought she'd seen Arthur flailing in the middle, drowning, and then sworn there had been a boat drifting on top of it burning…before she blinked and it was all gone. She'd half run away from that one and was aimlessly moving through the trees, not quite sure where she was going…till she stopped dead, realizing where she was.

It was, quite possibly, the only thing she could remember clearly…because it was the first thing she remembered seeing at all, it was a small area of the forest, the same one she'd woken up in to see Arthur rushing towards her and realized she had no idea who she was…she was back where it all started it seemed. She frowned and moved over to the tree she'd woken up in front of, sitting down and curling her legs up to her chest, locking her arms around her as she just…stared out at the area, wondering if any images might hit her there…

~8~

Marayna strode through the door of Arthur's chambers, not bothering to knock, only to laugh when she saw Arthur sitting on a chest at the end of his bed, with a tunic in hand and a needle and thread, trying vainly to mend a tear in the cloth and succeeding only in stabbing himself repeatedly with the item.

"The almighty prince of Camelot can't handle a needle and thread?" she crossed her arms, amused, "Try thinking of it as a small sword and the shirt as your enemy, I'm sure that'll help."

Arthur rolled his eyes, not looking up, "Like you can talk Mara? Morgana's told me about the utter failure her trying to teach you embroidery was."

"Well that's because there's no useful point in it," she countered, "So you make a pretty picture with thread? How is that practical?"

"Practical or not, it's what proper Ladies do," he grumbled, stabbing himself again.

"I'm far from a lady and at least I'm not so much a prat that I can't mend a shirt," she smirked, seeing him freeze at that.

Arthur's head shot up faster than she'd ever seen it, even in the middle of battle, as he stared at her, wide-eyed, "…Mara?"

She smiled and nodded, "Artie."

Arthur stood up instantly, dropping his shirt and the needle as he rushed to her side, taking her face in his hands and kissing her promptly, having been unable to the entire last week, far, FAR too long to go without it but he hadn't wanted to frighten her. Now though…now it looked like she had gotten her memories back.

He pulled away quite a few minutes later, pleased beyond anything to see Marayna's cheeks had flushed red at the rather deep (and admittedly desperate) kiss he'd given her. He rested his forehead to hers, the two of them breathing hard as they tried to regain their breath, his arms moving around her, "You're back?" he had to ask, just to be sure.

She nodded against his forehead, "Of course," she rested a hand on his heart, patting his chest lightly, "I couldn't can't leave you in the hands of my brother for too long," she quipped, "Who knows where the kingdom would go."

He let out a little chuckle and pulled back slightly, moving a hand to touch her cheek, "How?"

She gave him a small smile, "I went back to the woods where it happened," she explained, it seemed like, after she'd realized the importance of the places Arthur had shown her, going there again had let her catch glimpses of memory related to the places, "And I just…sat there, hoping something might happen and, it did," she nodded, "I started getting bits and pieces of what happened before I'd woken up and…" she shook her head, "It was like a dam burst and it all came flooding back."

"You've no idea how happy I am to hear that," he murmured.

"I can guess," she looked into his eyes, able to see the happiness and the relief reflected in them, "I'm sorry," she offered, "I know it couldn't have been easy to be around me like that…"

He shook his head, taking his hand from her face to put it on the one of hers resting on his heart, holding it, "It wasn't," he admitted, no point in lying to her anyway, "But you're back…and that's all that matters to me."

"Well," she gave him a little smirk, "I think there's one thing that should matter a little…"

"And what's that?" he frowned, trying to think of it.

"I remember that you arrested us," she stepped out of his arms, "And I'm rather cross about that again," he watched her carefully for her smirk was not at all cross, "I think…YOU may need to try and…win my favor again," she gave him a playful look.

"And how shall I do that?" he inquired, starting to smile, "I took you with me on a walk…and we got attacked by sorcerers."

"Well then," she shrugged, "We'll have to find something to do inside the castle then."

"Such as?" he saw her slowly opening the door and tensed in the best possible way, sensing a challenge coming and needing to complete it after a week of nothing.

"Not saying," she shook her head, "You'll have to catch me first!"

And with that, she bolted out of the room, hiking up the bottom of her skirt as she KNEW she'd end up tripping and he'd get her as he ran after her down the halls.

Arthur's laughter could be heard all over the castle as the game of cat and mouse went on, quite a few servants even more aware that their prince was fond of one of their own as Arthur's happiness at seeing Marayna returned to him knew no bounds…some of them even found themselves privy to small moments between the two whenever Marayna was caught and stole a kiss from Arthur to distract him and slip out of his hold to carry on the game.

But they wouldn't say anything to Uther about it, not when the prince was beaming so widely for the first time in a week.

A/N: SO sorry this is late :( My internet went out and wouldn't connect :( I'm currently at the McDonald's by my house to use their wifi and get this chapter up :( Just so you know, if there's ever a day where the chapters aren't up when they normally are (around 6:30-7am EST), I'll always put something up on my tumblr about it just to get the word out ;)

As for the chapter, I hope you liked it :) I really wanted to play with the idea of how different Marayna would be if she had no memories at all, just to see a change in her dynamic with Arthur for a short while :) Good thing it was only temporary ;)

I'm SO excited about the next chapter though, Gwaine! ^-^ And plenty of jealous-Arthur ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Aww thanks! I figure that, if someone has a question and has read the stories, the least I can do is try to answer or clear it up :) And happy birthday! Lol, there's a little more of an official well-wish at the end of this little section ;)

Regular is daily yup ;) If you check most of my other stories, they were published and last updated, they're the same days apart as there are numbers of chapters ;) The only stories I don't update daily are my spin-offs, those are usually once a month (since there's 4 (soon to be 5) of them), but they're on hold till I can catch up on my writings :)

Oh I've got a reason for Leon's luck that we won't see till Series 5 though ;)

They could, I can say Marayna's actually considered it, but there'll be a reason she thinks it wouldn't work that we'll see...very soon ;)

I can't wait till Gwaine too ^-^ Oh the reaction Arthur has to him will be very amusing ;)

I'm glad you like the story so much! If they were actual episodes I'd squeal :) Lol I saw a couple things on tumblr about how people hope that, when they die, that heaven will let them watch their favorite fanfictions as movies :) So, in the very, very, very, very, VERY distant future, we might all find out if that's true ;)

I wish I could do the eyebrow of doom too, sadly my one eyebrow seems to be perpetually raised so there's not much doom-like quality behind it :)

Oh the fluff will really start to pick up in the next chapter and continue though quite a bit of the story ;) They sort of already had a fight back in Flames, semi-fight, where Arthur said he wouldn't ever love Marayna and she sort of made his life miserable for a little ;)

I'll definitely be talking more about the original sequel near the end of the Prophecies, just to see if people would be interested in it ;)

Arthur's reaction to the children thing will actually both surprise and not-surprise Marayna, but that's all I can say about that ;)

And a very happy birthday to Shannon Mee! I hope you have a wonderful day :)


	6. Gwaine

Gwaine

Merlin and Arthur were sitting in Merlin's chambers early one morning, having actually been there for quite a long time really, keeping watch over a young, scruffy-looking man they'd learned was named Gwaine who had helped them in a small...altercation they'd gotten into just hours ago and Gwaine had jumped in to help them, getting injured in the process. They had both felt a responsibility and debt to the man for his help and had remained with him through the night, having brought him to Gaius for treatment of a wound that had been inflicted in his side. Merlin had been a little surprised Arthur had stayed. He could understand himself being there, it was technically still his room Gwaine was sleeping in, even if he didn't often use the room. He was _not_ about to leave his sister alone with a strange man in her bedroom. But as Marayna wasn't even there, he wouldn't have had to worry about that anyway. Arthur, it seemed, was there because the man had saved his life and he wanted to be the first to thank him when he woke.

They had gone on a small scouting mission, more like a hunt. Marayna had been set to go with them but, at the last minute, Morgana had requested Marayna help her with something. Apparently Gwen was going to make new dresses and she always insisted that Gwen make one for herself as well using the slightly finer fabrics than a servant would usually have access to. This time Morgana had also insisted that she make for Marayna too. Marayna, of course, had railed and ranted and raved against it, saying she'd actually prefer to go on a hunt than to be subjected to getting yet another dress (Arthur had gotten her a new one only a few months ago!).

It shouldn't have surprised any of them though, Arthur had to literally pick Marayna up and carry her over his shoulder to the seamstresses to get her a new gown here and there when she ended up wearing her other ones to rags. So the prince had had to resort to ordering her to remain with the women, not that Marayna usually listened to him, but when he'd threatened to lock her in Morgana's chambers she'd relented. Merlin had just shaken his head, knowing she'd only given in because Morgana could magic the door locked to the point where she'd have to blast it off its hinges to escape and that would not help her keep her magic a secret. Morgana had decided that Marayna should stay with her and Gwen that night as well. Apparently it was a tradition that Gwen would make the dresses well into the night and the girls would have a bit of a stay-over, talking into the night and playing games, everything Uther either had no idea his ward was doing with a servant or looked the other way for as it happened so infrequently.

Either way, Arthur and Merlin had gone hunting without her. It had been decent, given them time to...talk about their girls, their intentions...though that was quickly put to rest when they realized the women in question were each other's sisters (near enough) and that talking about the other woman was disturbing to them. They'd decided near the end of the day to head to a tavern for a drink, something Merlin had needed to spend the day dropping hints and half-begging about to get the prince of Camelot to agree and…things got a little out of hand…

A little out of hand meaning...

"A _brawl_?!" Marayna shouted as she stormed into the physician's chambers, wearing her new dress, or what was nearly her new dress if Gwen had been allowed to finish it without her rushing off the moment she'd heard about what happened. It looked like it might be a lovely gown when it was completed, it was the same light blue that Morgana insisted she wear around Arthur, with a curved neckline though it appeared a very wide one, nearly spanning from one shoulder to the other but not quite off her shoulders. It had a white underdress that was peeking out from along the neckline and sleeves, with a small cut down the center of the bodice where brown string was lacing it up. It hugged her top half and flowed around her waist to the ground, with a brown belt gently draped around her waist, and if Arthur hadn't been so concerned (scared) of her fuming, he probably would have gaped at her appearance, she almost looked...regal, even in such a simple gown, "I leave you alone for one night, ONE night and you get into a _tavern brawl_?!" she honestly wasn't sure if she was angry at them for being a part of it...or that she had missed it. Things had been...relativley quiet in Camelot for quite a while now and she was sure she was just getting antsy...who knew the day would come where she'd be hoping for some sort of danger to arise?

The young man, Gwaine, who had just barely woken a moment before she'd entered by throwing the door open so forcefully that it crashed into the back wall and bounced off it, pushed himself up, having been about to ask what was going on before he'd heard her shouts and thought it best to try and defend the two men who looked rather pale and actually scared of the fuming woman before them. Them! Two men who had helped him take out a tavern's worth of ruffians were scared of a wee woman!

...which meant she must be quite a frightful one.

"It wasn't their fault my Lady," he began, "A rather foul man had threatened…" he trailed off, his eyes widening as he finally _saw_ the woman before them, "Ray?"

She paused, huffing and looked at him, having thought him nothing more than another bystander caught in the middle of Arthur's foul luck...only for her eyes to widen, "Wen?" she laughed, realizing who it was.

Gwaine!

Gwaine rolled his eyes at her own name for him. That wasn't how his name was pronounced, it was just as it was spelled Gwaine, Guh-wayne, but there had been a rather irritating, pompous prince lurking about when he'd stayed in East Anglia for a time who could never pronounce other's names correctly. The arrogant sod had insisted on calling him Gah-wen. The nerve! And yet, of course, because HE had made fun of how the prince kept calling HER Maria (and not bothered to correct the man), she'd gotten revenge by calling him 'Wen.' Though he had to admit, it was a better reason for calling him a nickname than his had been. He'd gotten a bit too drunk and started insisting, in much the same manner as the prince, that her name had to be essentially 'Ramona' or some other such nonsense, which he'd shortened to Ray. He supposed it could easily have just been him shortening her typical nickname of Rayna down a little more, but they both knew the reason for his nickname.

"By the gods!" he cheered, getting out of bed, ignoring the tug in his side as the wound in his thigh stung when he moved over to Marayna and hugged her tightly.

She pulled away though and punched him soundly in the arm, hard enough to make him wince and rub it, "_That's_ for not coming to see me first, you selfish bastard."

"Oi, watch it you irritating wench," he countered.

Merlin laughed, seeing that Arthur, who had looked more than confused as to how the two knew each other, seemed about ready jump in and 'defend her honor' at how she was being called such a name by the man. Marayna though, simply laughed, "Oh it's good to see you again Gwaine," she hugged him once more.

"What are you wearing Marayna?" he scrunched his face at her dress, stepping back but still holding her hands, more out to the side so he could look at her properly.

She looked down, as though just realizing she was wearing her nearly-new gown, "A dress."

"Yeah, I can see that," he laughed, "But I've never send you wearing one for so long without complaining about it every two seconds."

She chuckled at that, "I've been forced to wear one going on more than 4 years now, I suppose I've gotten used to it."

"Forced to?" he frowned at that, at the thought that anyone could make her do something she didn't want to do.

She sighed, "I'm working as a servant here, Wen."

"And here is...where exactly?"

She blinked and stared at him a moment, before shaking her head, amused, "How much did you have to drink, you scruffy drunkard?"

"Not enough if I can still feel this," he shifted so he was beside her, his one arm braced around her for support as he pointed at his bare legs, his trousers missing, one leg with the bandage around it, "You screaming banshee."

Merlin, who was quite amused by how they kept insulting each other with the widest of smiles, had to cut in though, seeing Arthur starting to get...something he wasn't quite sure of...anger? Jealous? Upset? Hurt? Confused? All of them? He really didn't know but he was sure that the prince was almost pouting because THEY had been in the brawl as well and his sister was more focused on the man before them and not Arthur, "You're in Camelot," he told Gwaine, "We were in a fight, you were wounded and Arthur," he gestured at the prince who was now near glowering at how Gwaine _still_ had an arm around Marayna, "Wanted you treated by a physician."

"Arthur?" Gwaine eyed the blonde.

"Prince Arthur," Marayna explained, though she sounded hesitant to do so.

That made Arthur frown, both curious and worried as to why she seemed to not want Gwaine to know who he was. But he shook himself out of his shock and held out a hand to the man, no matter his feelings, he DID still owe Gwaine a debt and...if he was that close to Marayna, perhaps he was important to her and...he didn't want to upset or offend her by insulting the man, "You saved my life."

Gwaine's expression fell and hardened even at Arthur's gesture, rejecting the offered hand, "If I'd known who you were, I probably wouldn't have."

"Wen," Marayna shook her head at him, "He's a good man."

"He's a _noble_, Ray," he mock-whined, "I thought I'd finally gotten it into your abnormally thick skull that they're no better than us? That they should work to earn the respect of their subjects?"

Arthur blinked and looked at Gwaine, startled to find that Marayna's current attitude towards nobles seemed to stem from this very man. He had spoken to her once or twice about why she carried herself the way she did around him and others, she'd just said that, at first she HAD been respectful of kings and other nobles, but...one of her good friends had made a very good point that respect should be earned. Why should she respect someone merely because they had the good fortune to be born with a title? Respect was a two way street and, in looking at things that way, she treated nobles the way she treated everyone else who was a stranger to her until they came to be familiar enough to her and earn her respect enough to earn her politeness and manners.

"I'm aware," she rolled her eyes at Gwaine, "And yes you did pound it into my head with your abnormally meaty hands," she shot right back to him, "And Arthur HAS earned my respect. He's a decent bloke."

Gwaine snorted, "If you say so."

"Sorry," Merlin shook his head, "How do you know each other again?" he had a firm suspicion that Gwaine was the friend of hers from East Anglia that was often drunk that she'd mentioned a time or two, especially with how he called her Ray, but...he just wanted to make sure.

"He was a prowler in Richard's kingdom," Marayna explained with a casual shrug, "He saw the prince hounding me a few times and decided to offer his services in helping me defend my honor from the prince's advances."

"How'd you do that?" Merlin laughed, "Last time he was here he didn't even notice Arthur…"

"We pretended we were courting," Gwaine smirked, noting the deepening frown on Arthur's face and the way the man's hands were clenching into fists. It didn't take a genius to work out that the prince clearly felt something for Marayna, the way she talked about him gave her away as well, he'd never known her to be so quick to defend someone else, least of all a noble. Oh he would LOVE this, he was quite sure he'd very much enjoy seeing how far he could play and push the man.

"And then we just sort of grew to be friends from that," Marayna finished.

"Oh you wound me!" Gwaine mock-cried, a hand on his heart, "I had thought our love to blaze across the stars! Was it truly a mere tryst to you?" he looked at Marayna, "You were my one true lady love and I thought us destined for each other!"

"In your dreams," she laughed, probably the only one who knew (as she'd been there) that Gwaine was both trying to irritate Arthur and give them a display of how he'd acted around Richard to put the prince off. He'd really had to be quite over the top when it came to getting Richard off her back.

"I've given my report of the incident to the king," Arthur cut in, feeling the anger start to rise in him at what Gwaine was professing. A small part of his mind knew that the man was likely jesting but...a large part of his mind couldn't help but fear that was how the man really felt. He couldn't imagine anyone meeting Marayna and NOT falling in love with her, "He wants to thank you in person."

"No," Gwaine shook his head, suddenly growing serious, dropping his arm from around Marayna's shoulders to her waist, trying not to smirk at how Arthur's eyes followed the movement, "I've met a few kings. Once you've met one, you've...you've met them all."

"He'll give you a reward," Arthur baited, really just wanting to get the man as FAR away from Marayna (and not touching her!) as possible.

"Not interested," he shrugged, "Besides, I've got everything I need right here," he squeezed Marayna around the waist, "The greatest treasure in the land," he brushed his fingers along her side.

"Hands," she stepped back from him and pointed at him warningly but with a smirk.

He grinned and held up his hands in surrender. It truly amused him how easily they'd fallen back into their ruse of 'intimacy' if that was what it could be called. 4 years later and it was just as easy to flirt with her and grab a touch off her as it had been in East Anglia. There was nothing there, at all, no spark or anything, the flirting felt more like a playful banter between them, though they had schooled it to come across as true flirting to others. Their name calling and names for each other, while crude, were just how open and comfortable they felt around each other, to be able to call someone a wench or a drunkard and have them take no offense was a welcome thing. And their touching...it was more to see which of them would be unable to keep a straight face first, their touches just felt so foreign and odd to both of them that it was nearly impossible at times not to crack a smile and laugh about how ridiculous they were.

It was made even sweeter by the knowledge that Arthur didn't understand it at all, and that would make for quite the jealous (and most amusing) prince.

"Why did you help us then?" Arthur grumbled.

"Let me guess," Marayna cut in, "Your chances looked between slim and none?" Merlin nodded, "He loves those kinds of odds."

"You know me so well," Gwaine winked at her, ignoring the (what appeared to be a) low growl that sounded from Arthur.

"And speaking of…" she smiled at Gwaine, "There's a melee in town."

"Love those," he grinned.

Arthur merely crossed his arms, fixing Gwaine with a firm look, already plotting the numerous ways he would target the man if he took part in the melee...he was going to win it, he was NOT going to let Gwaine show off more for Marayna, if it was the last thing he did he'd win back his lady's favor.

Merlin, though, just looked between the two groups, Marayna and Gwaine on one side, and Arthur on the other, and shook his head. He knew when his sister was teasing someone and she seemed as intent as Gwaine did to see Arthur's jealous side. He had to admit, as he watched Arthur fall right for it, that he was rooting for her. After all the other women who had enchanted and tried to ensnare the prince...hurting his sister in the process...Arthur deserved a little payback.

Let the games begin.

~8~

Arthur stood at his window, staring out it at Gwaine walking around the square...with Marayna, the two claiming to be catching up, though his eyes narrowed as he watched them, trying his best to keep the red from his vision as Gwaine took her hand and spun her around, laughing and smiling and_ touching_ her. Granted it was only on the hand for only a second or two and he'd let go immediately but...it tugged at him. Because Gwaine appeared to be a commoner, he could be as free with Marayna as he'd like, he could walk with her in the market and give her kisses in the hall and flirt with her openly in the courtyards and give her gifts whenever he felt like it...

And HE couldn't.

He had to be careful and watch himself and make sure he didn't appear that he was TOO in love with the woman. He loved her too much to risk his father's wrath as he still wasn't sure what the man would do if he ever learned of his son's intentions to remain unwed till he outlived his father and propose to Marayna immediately after. His father did seem...fond of Marayna, more so than he probably would have for a maidservant. But he wouldn't risk the man's ire if he discovered the true depths of his feelings for her. He could hardly bring himself to speak to his father about the man's own leniency with the girl for fear of making him realize how he was acting and ending up with the man revoking his 'gentle' nature with Marayna. He was quite sure the court could admit, especially after the Goblin incident, that his father did seem to treat her just a bit more kindly than he did others of her station.

"Who's that?" Merlin asked, coming up behind him and looking out, seeing a knight enter the courtyard instead of his sister and Gwaine.

"Ahh," Arthur shook himself from his thoughts, confused for only a moment what Merlin was speaking of till he saw the knights, "Sir Darien. He's here for the melee."

"Oh, yeah. The tournament where the knights ride around, hitting each other with blunt weapons for no good reason."

"A little more to it than that," Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Really?" Merlin scoffed, "All I've ever seen is people getting the seven bells knocked out of them so that the last man standing can be called the winner."

"The melee is the ultimate test of strength and courage..."

"Are you sure we're talking about the same thing?" Merlin eyed him, "I thought it was about you showing off for my sister."

"Well..." Arthur floundered at that a moment, "I wouldn't expect you to understand. You're not a knight."

"Oh, well if it means I don't get clobbered 'round the head, I'm glad of it. Morgana rather likes my face the way it is thanks," he quipped, turning to head out.

It was...nice, to be able to talk to someone about Morgana, even if it did get awkward at times given the sibling-like relationship Morgana and Arthur seemed to have. He sort of felt that it helped them bond a little more, develop their friendship more as they were really in the same boat, both courting someone that they knew so many would likely never accept their union to, courting someone who was infinitely important to the other man. It...was good, to be able to just speak openly of his relationship with Morgana to another man, and Arthur was really the only man there who knew, besides Gaius.

"I'm afraid it doesn't," Arthur turned and threw a cup at the back of Merlin's head, before gesturing to his armor, "Find your sister and get that lot cleaned by noon."

Merlin pouted and rubbed his neck, before he smirked, "I'm telling Aya on you."

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted, but Merlin had already run out of the room, leaving the prince to sulk, yet another thing he'd have to try and appeal to Marayna about.

What had he been thinking? Attacking her brother was the WORST way to gain more of her affections...

~8~

Gwaine snatched a flower from the basket of a girl passing by and moved over to Gwen as she walked through the towns with a basket of laundry in her arms on her way to tend to her lady, holding the flower out to her, "I believe this belongs to you."

"I don't think so," Gwen blushed, "It's not my color."

"Ah, well...let us see," he put the flower in Gwen's hair.

"I bet you've got a whole bunch of those to hand out," she joked.

"No. Yours is the only one," he held up his empty hands, showing her. Gwen just scoffed and tried to go past him, smiling, but he called out, "I'm…"

"Gwaine!" Marayna called, running over, "Sorry Gwen," she apologized, "Did he try to charm you too?" she asked, "I can't take him anywhere without him trying that at least once an hour."

Gwen laughed, "It's alright, is he a friend of yours?" Marayna nodded and she held out her hand to the man, more receptive to him this time, knowing that, "Gwen."

He beamed, "I never would have guessed," he kissed her hand instead, making Marayna roll her eyes, "You look like a princess to me. I thought it was something like Sophia or...or Esmeralda. That's it. Princess Esmeralda," he bowed to her.

She blushed as Marayna shook her head, "Stop it Wen. People are staring."

"Spoil all my fun," he sighed, before reaching out to take the basket from Gwen, "Let me carry that. A princess shouldn't have to lump her washing around."

"Unfortunately I'm not a princess," Gwen told him.

"Ah, but you see...you are to me."

Gwen laughed.

"Wen, stop!" Marayna shook her head, knowing Gwen was semi-taken by Lancelot even if the man wasn't there at the moment.

"This isn't working, is it?" he pouted, looking between the two women, realizing his best efforts were failing him.

"No," Gwen shook her head, "Not really."

"Would help if I said she was already taken?" Marayna cut in, "I tried to tell you."

"But I like that you tried, and that you know when to give up," Gwen added kindly, taking the flower from her hair and handing it back to him in exchange for her basket, "You'd better have this, in case someone else takes your fancy."

"I've only eyes for you!" he called as she walked off.

"Stop it!" Marayna scolded.

Gwen just laughed, "I'm sure."

~8~

Marayna sighed as she stood with Merlin and Arthur before the square as Sir Oswald entered, he'd called her to join him and Merlin...and then piled on the chores, more chores than she or Merlin had had to do in a while. If she didn't know better she would have thought he was trying to keep her from catching up with Gwaine. But that couldn't be the case, could it? He wasn't actually jealous of the man...was he? She was almost hoping he was, she had a feeling jealous-Arthur would amuse her.

"Sir Oswald!" Arthur greeted as Marayna eyed the man, she'd never met him before but…she couldn't help but feel like there was something off about him and his fellow knight, "Didn't think you'd be brave enough to show up."

"And miss the chance of putting you on your backside?" 'Oswald' smirked.

"Ha ha. You've never managed it before."

"That was then. This is now."

Arthur gave him a friendly punch and turned to the knight beside him, "And you are?"

"Sir Ethan," the man grasped hands with Arthur.

"These are my servants, Merlin and Marayna," Arthur answered, being sure to call her by her full name, not wanting anyone else to think it ok to call her just 'Mara,' "They love hard work so, anything you need, just give them a call."

"Believe me, I will," 'Oswald' eyed Marayna, who rolled her eyes.

"What?" Arthur frowned, seeing her starting to look around as Oswald walked off with Ethan.

"Have you seen Gwaine?" she asked.

His jaw clenched at that, "Why do you need him?"

"Well, it appears I may have to ask him to play the role of courter again," she shrugged.

"Mara,_ I_ am your courter," Arthur crosses his arms, "Or have you forgotten that necklace you wear?"

"I don't know Artie," she countered, "Have you forgotten your father could have me executed if you go around professing your relationship to me to everyone?" she gave him a look.

"I don't care who knows!" Arthur nearly snapped at that.

Marayna blinked, she knew Uther knew of her feelings for Arthur, that he could guess at Arthur's for her but...she had already told the man she would NOT marry Arthur, that she would stand aside if ever he were to wed and that seemed to have granted her a bit of...amnesty, when it came to the king and him looking away from their moments. He seemed content to know that the situation would not escalate and left her alone. But if Arthur started to profess his intent to do something foolish, like marry her, Uther would probably not hesitate to have her executed.

"Do you care about seeing my head attached to my body?" she deadpanned.

"Of course I do," he spoke more softly this time, as though realizing just how serious their situation was.

She gave him a sad smile, "Then you can't openly declare anything," she reached out and took his hand, "But I DO know how you feel Arthur, you don't need to prove it to anyone else," she gave him a soft smile and squeezed his hand before turning to head off.

Arthur sighed and rubbed his head, one day...one day he'd make sure everyone knew.

"I know how you feel too," Merlin offered.

"I doubt that Merlin," he said without thinking, without recalling the situation Merlin was in with Morgana.

"Why do you think I haven't touched ale anymore?" Merlin countered, it was why he'd asked to go to the tavern in the first place, not for a drink but just...to be reminded of how others acted when drunk, the things they revealed, to remind him how much he had to keep it all quiet, "I won't risk what I might say when I've had even a 'whiff of a barmaid's apron.'"

Arthur looked at him, realizing that it might be even more dangerous for Merlin than for Marayna. As terrible as it was to admit, he and Morgana were treated and seen differently in Uther's eyes. HE could be allowed a tryst with Marayna, a prince with a serving girl. But Morgana...a tryst of her own at all, with anyone would be severely punishable, and especially for it to be with a servant?

Uther wouldn't just execute Merlin, he'd murder the man himself.

~8~

It was a nightmare working for Oswald and Ethan, both servants soon learned. Even worse than Arthur had been in dealing out chores and issuing orders. They barely had time to eat anything which was why they were slurping up their pea soups as Gaius watched them with quiet concern mixed with minute awe, "It's very hard to work out whether you are eating or inhaling that soup," he commented.

"We haven't had even a bite to eat all day," Marayna complained.

"Sir Ethan and Oswald had me and Aya at their beck and call," Merlin grumbled.

"How are they?" Gaius asked, something about that striking him as odd.

"Awful. He treats us like dirt."

"That doesn't sound like the young man I knew," Gaius frowned, "He always struck me as a rather kind and thoughtful soul."

"Things change," Marayna shrugged, "I never thought I'd ever get used to wearing a dress but..." she tugged at her skirt.

"You must remember that not all masters are as good to their servants as Arthur."

They nodded at that when Gwen came in, "Rayna," she called, "I think you need to come with me."

She ran an exasperated hand through her hair, "What did Wen do now?"

"How did you know..." Gwen blinked.

"Why?" she countered, "Is it NOT him?"

"No, it is," Gwen shook her head, getting back to her reason for being there, "But...I don't think I can rightly describe it."

"Come on Merlin," Marayna stood.

Merlin sighed and moved go to with her, the two of them following Gwen down to the towns, to the local tavern, and entering, only to stare at all the mead tankards set up before Gwaine, a very drunk Gwaine.

"You drank all this?" Merlin stared at him, there had to be at least a dozen in front of Gwaine alone!

"Doesn't really surprise me," Marayna sighed, almost like she expected this.

"With some help from my new friends!" Gwaine cheered as the entire tavern did as well.

"He says that he hasn't got any money," the innkeeper said hesitantly, "So it looks like you'll have to pay."

"But...we can't afford this," Merlin frowned.

"You better find someone who can."

Marayna shook her head, "Hold on, hold on, here…" she handed over a small pouch of money.

"What?" Merlin looked at her.

"I've known Wen a _very_ long time Merlin, as soon as he hits a tavern, someone needs to pay."

"But how…"

"He keeps his own gold in his trunk, I just snuck a few coins out when I had the chance," she explained, she had been the one to set up Gwaine in his guest chambers at Camelot, "When he gets this trunk he forgets he actually has gold to pay with."

Merlin nodded before they moved to help Gwaine up.

~8~

The siblings managed to get Gwaine back to their chambers and onto a cot, "You're the best friend I've ever had Ray," he smiled up at her, "And your brother's not half bad either."

"You seem to have had quite a few," Merlin laughed.

"I'd love to see Arthur's face when he gets that bill!"

Marayna shook her head, "Right…" that was the _only_ way they had been able to get Gwaine to leave without a struggle or a scene, telling him Arthur would be stuck with the bill.

"What is it with you and nobles?" Merlin asked.

"Merlin don't," Marayna shook her head in warning, knowing the story all too well, having asked Gwaine the same thing once.

"S'alright Ray," Gwaine slurred, "My father was a knight in Caerleon's army. He died in battle, leaving my mother penniless. And when she went to the King for help, he turned her away."

"You didn't know him?" Merlin frowned.

"Just some stories I've been told."

"Yeah, we know how that feels. I met my father just briefly before he died."

Gwaine frowned and sat up, somewhere in his drunken mind making the connection between Merlin and Marayna being siblings and if Merlin was talking about HIS father then he was also talking about HERS as well, "Ray…"

"I didn't even get to met him," Marayna added sadly, quietly.

"Why?" Gwaine barely restrained a belch.

"He was banished."

"What had he done?" he asked, sounding surprisingly sober.

"Nothing," Merlin answered, "He served Uther..."

"But the king turned against him?" he guessed, "That doesn't surprise me."

"Arthur's not like that though Wen," Marayna told him, he wouldn't be anymore, she had made sure of it and would continue to do so to the day she died.

That and she'd threatened him with bodily harm if he _ever_ arrested her or Merlin again without solid, absolute proof that they had committed the crime they were being arrested for.

"Ha!" Gwaine scoffed, flopping back on the cot, "Maybe. But none of them are worth dying for, eh?" He laughed and rolled over, hitting his head on the headboard in the process but just kept laughing, actually seeming to laugh harder at that.

~8~

Merlin was a bit surprised to find Gwaine had wished to join him and Marayna on their chores the next day. Apparently he'd felt guilty when he'd woken to find out they'd essentially bailed him out of a troubling situation. He was currently sitting with them in the throne room, helping them clean the armor/boots of _all_ the knights competing in the melee.

"Arthur is a thoroughbred little braggart," Gwaine muttered.

"Why?" Merlin asked.

"For making you do this."

"We're his servants Wen," Marayna sighed, "We have to do chores and work or we don't get paid. And if we don't get paid, mother doesn't get any money."

"I think it's fair," Merlin nodded.

"For the entire army?" Gwaine scoffed.

"If you admitted your father was a knight, _you_ wouldn't have to," Merlin pointed out.

"Maybe," he shrugged, waving it off, "But I'm not making the same mistakes that he did. Anyway, my father always treated his servants well."

"You told me you never got to know him," Marayna reminded him.

"Well, I like to think that he did," he amended, "What about yours?" he glanced at them.

"No," Merlin shook his head, "He didn't have any servants. He didn't have...well...anyone."

"He um," Marayna hesitated, before adding, "He was driven out of Ealdor, where he'd escaped to. Uther invaded Cenred's kingdom to get to him. He had to flee again and, well, ended up in a cave."

"When did he die?" Gwaine asked gently.

"Just about a year ago."

"I just wish that I had the chance to know him better," Merlin murmured, "There's so much he could've taught me. Taught us."

"I wish I could have just _met_ him," Marayna whispered.

"Join the club Ray," Gwaine nudged her, "If there's one thing that I learned from my father's life, is that titles don't mean anything, remember? It's what's inside," he slapped Merlin's knee with the cleaning brush, "That counts."

Marayna smiled, "We've come to see that as well. We had this friend, Lancelot, not noble, but the most noble man you'd ever meet. Just wanted to be a knight, to help people."

"And he was turned away because he wasn't noble eh?" Gwaine nodded.

"It'll change one day," Marayna told him.

Gwaine just scoffed.

~8~

Merlin and Marayna snuck into Sir Ethan and Oswald's rooms, looking at a blade the man had brought with him. Merlin had overheard the men talking about taking Arthur on during the melee and that something about their blade was good, which had instantly made him suspicious hearing someone talking about specifically targeting Arthur.

Marayna reached out and ran her finger on the blade, examining the dullness as only dull blades were allowed in the fight, when she _cut_ her finger on it.

"What are you doing with that, girl!?" Oswald demanded as he entered.

"I was just tidying…" she stood.

"Arthur wanted us to polish his armor and we thought you would both like for us to polish the weapons…" Merlin added, actually managing to come up with a decent lie...though he had a feeling it was because his sister was bleeding beside him and his mind always worked best when someone he cared about was hurt.

"Keep away from things that don't concern you," Oswald glared, grabbing the sword from her hands.

They nodded, grabbing some laundry and plates that were lying about and heading out.

~8~

"I thought the sword was blunt," Marayna explained as Gaius bandaged her finger, "And it looked it. But I just touched it and it cut me!"

"You were lucky Ray," Gwaine told her, "I've seen those blades in action. They're forged using sorcery."

"What would they want with such a blade?" Gaius frowned.

"I think they mean to kill Arthur in the melee," Merlin sighed.

"But in front of all those people?"

"It's the perfect cover," Gwaine nodded, "If they succeed, nobody will suspect it was intentional."

Marayna stood, "We should warn Arthur."

"As though he'd listen," Gwaine scoffed.

"Wen," Marayna sighed, "I'm...not just Arthur's servant," she told him, hesitating to try and find the right word, "I'm…"

"She's his lover too," Merlin told him as bluntly as she always was.

Gwaine's eyes widened at that, looking at her as she didn't deny it though she did blush at the word used, "Ray…you went to the dark side?"

She laughed, "It's not just me, who do you think is sharing a bed with the Lady Morgana at night?" she jerked her head at Merlin.

"Aya!" Merlin cried, scandalized.

"He'll listen," Marayna told him, "But he'll still need proof to get his father to do the same."

"Sir Oswald's a knight," Gaius nodded, "He comes from a well-respected family. You can't accuse him without proof."

"Then we need that blade," Merlin determined.

"I'll get it," Gwaine nodded.

"What if they catch you?" Merlin shook his head, "What reason would you have to be in Sir Oswald's chamber? No. It's safer if we do it," he turned to his sister, holding out a hand for her good one and off they went.

~8~

Things had _not_ gone well at all.

They had managed to get into the chambers of the knights as the two men slept, managed to get the blade…but then they'd noticed crystals around their necks, seen the image of men in them that were not them. Well…_Merlin_ had. Marayna had just seen the same men that were before her. Apparently she'd been seeing through the illusion the crystals had made all alone but, having never met the two thugs or knights, hadn't know they weren't who they claimed to be. The crystals, when worn, could make the wearer appear to be anyone else, which explained why Arthur hadn't noticed two men from the tavern brawl and clearly not knights were inside Camelot.

They'd tried to get the crystals too but been caught and threatened by the two men, till Gwaine arrived and helped free them, attacking the knights in the process. The fight had drawn the attention of Sir Leon and the 'knights' of course had claimed that _Gwaine_ attacked_ them_ and demanded to see the king, which was why they were now gathered in the Main Hall before the court and Uther.

"Uncle!" Marayna called as Gaius made his way over to them, "It's not Sir Oswald or Sir Ethan," she told him.

"It's that thug from the tavern, Dagr," Merlin added, "He's using a magical crystal to change his appearance."

The guards dragged Gwaine into the room in chains, cutting off the rest of their explanation. Merlin squeezed Marayna's hand at seeing it happening, knowing she felt guilty that Gwaine was in this situation to begin with, knowing he'd only gotten involved to protect them.

"Sire, this man attacked me, with a sword, tried to kill me," 'Oswald' claimed.

"Is this true?" Uther demanded.

"I stepped in to protect Merlin and Ray," Gwaine stated.

"I tried to talk to him," 'Oswald' continued, "He was like a man possessed! I'm sure that Sir Ethan will back me up."

'Ethan' stepped up, "Indeed, I can vouch for his every word."

"He's a liar!" Gwaine shouted.

"I will have your tongue!" Uther glared, "How _dare_ you speak to a knight in that way?!"

"Nobility is defined by what you_ do_, and not by who you_ are_," Gwaine recited a very familiar lesson to Marayna's ears, "And these men are anything but. They are arrogant thugs!"

"Gwaine..." Arthur began.

"Well, you see, Sire, how he behaves," 'Oswald' remarked.

"I've heard enough," Uther nodded, "For a commoner to attack a nobleman is in violation of the Knight's Code."

"How could you possibly have 'heard enough?'" Marayna called, striding forward, despite Merlin trying to hold her back, "You only took the words of knights! Gwaine _just said_ he was defending my brother and I yet you will not hear both sides of the story? Which, might I add, is in violation of you newest law!" it technically wasn't, it was more a law to defend servants, not other commoners, but she was hoping that might slip Uther's memory for the moment, "How is that even remotely a fair and just trial!?"

"Ray don't," Gwaine shook her head, not wanting her to face the wrath of Uther Pendragon for him.

"He must be made an example of sire," 'Oswald' called, trying to keep Uther from recanting and listening.

"Sir Oswald, please..." Arthur turned to him.

"Nothing less than his execution will give me satisfaction."

Arthur frowned at that, that...was not like Oswald at all, but still, he turned to Uther, "Father, I understand how this must look, it's an embarrassing situation. Sir Oswald is a dear friend, and our guest here in Camelot. But Gwaine is my guest here, too. And he may not be of noble birth, but I can vouch that he has a noble heart. If he says he was defending my servants, then I don't doubt that he was."

Even if he wasn't, Marayna was vouching for him and defending him and...that was more than enough to get him to listen. He'd made the mistake of not heeding her words too often in the past and had vowed to listen to her from now on. And...even if she hadn't said a word, a small part of his mind could admit that he would have defended Gwaine anyway, even if just to seem a bit more noble (in the good sense) to the girl.

"How can you say that when you see the way he behaves?" Uther frowned at his son. He was...unwilling to admit before the court that he was considering Marayna's words, that...if the knights HAD attacked first then it was also a violation of the Knight's Code and Gwaine would have every reason to defend himself. But...the way the man was acting, his arrogance, his spite...it was not something he could allow to go unpunished and for that he couldn't recant his support of Oswald's statements.

"Gwaine risked his life to save mine. I beg you, please, if a knight's word is his bond, then I give you my word Gwaine is a good man. He deserves clemency."

Uther sighed and turned to Gwaine once more, "You are banished from Camelot. If you ever return, you will pay for it with your life. You have until dawn to leave the city."

Marayna just shook her head at him, though she offered Arthur a smile for his efforts.

~8~

"I'm sorry Wen," Marayna sighed as she sat down beside Gwaine's bag as he packed his belongings.

"Don't be," he waved her off.

"Still," Merlin called from where he was standing against the wall, "You were _banished_ and…"

"I never stay in one place for very long. People get sick of me too quickly."

"I never did," Marayna smirked.

"I don't think I would either," Merlin added.

"Even after the trouble I caused?" he smiled.

"You livened the place up."

Gwaine laughed, "Make sure you look after Arthur. He's in danger."

"Says the man who hates nobles," Marayna quipped, crossing her arms and giving him an amused look.

"Well...maybe that one's worth dying for, eh?" he looked at Marayna, "Must be if he was able to win YOUR heart after even the most handsome of drunkards failed," it was a joke though, the only thing they felt for each other was a deep friendship. He'd never tried to win her heart, realizing it was too far out of reach and too closely guarded. For Arthur to be able to not only touch it but hold it...the man had to be made of finer stuff than his father was for Marayna to care for him so.

Marayna just smiled and nodded, pleased Gwaine had come to like the prince.

~8~

As Gwaine made his way through the corridor of the castle, on his way out, Gwen stepped out of an alcove and walked with him, "I heard what happened."

He shrugged, not even jumping at her sudden appearance, "Yeah, well, there you go."

"You did a brave thing."

"Hell of a lot of good it did me."

"No, I mean…" she glanced around, "I _know_ what happened, with the knights and the swords," she told him meaningfully, "I'm the Lady Morgana's maid. Merlin told her."

He smiled, "He's a good man."

"So is Arthur."

"He tried to speak up for me," he admitted.

"Arthur's fair. He's loyal. He'll be a great king. I know he will."

"Especially with Ray beside him eh?" he smirked.

Gwen nodded, "You should have seen him BEFORE they came to Camelot."

"Let's hope he lives long enough to prove his true strength," though even as he said it he felt a weight settle in his stomach at the thought of the prince not living. Marayna...she guarded her heart worse than a dragon was said to guard treasure, he didn't even want to imagine what would happen to her if Arthur died...

~8~

Merlin and Marayna sighed as they talked to Gaius, "We don't know what to do," Merlin shook his head.

"I could try and persuade Arthur to withdraw from the contest," Gaius suggested.

"He won't," Marayna sighed, "We've all tried it in the past, he won't not fight short of us drugging him. We'll just...have to find a way to use our magic to help."

"With the king and half of Camelot watching?" Gaius warned.

"We don't have a choice," Merlin decided as they headed out.

~8~

"You know those moments when we tell you something isn't a good idea?" Merlin began as they stood in Arthur's rooms, preparing and checking his armor.

"And then I ignore you, yeah," Arthur nodded, though they could hear a hint of guilt in his voice for it.

"And then we're proved RIGHT?" Marayna continued.

Arthur sighed, "Your concern for my wellbeing is touching."

"We're serious Arthur," she stepped over to him, "We truly think you should withdraw."

"Mara...it's not just a melee," he reached out and took her hand, gently touching her cheek with the other, "It's about proving to the people that I'm fit to lead them. You know I cannot withdraw from that," he looked into her eyes, "But I will take care of your warning. I will be extra vigilant."

Marayna let out a breath at that, understanding why he felt the need to fight, but pleased and touched he was going tobe more careful, that he believed them about the danger. Maybe he was _finally_ starting to_ listen_ to them.

Merlin reached out and handed Arthur his dull sword, "Just be careful."

He nodded and took it, heading out of the room.

~8~

Merlin and Marayna stood beside Gaius in the crowd, Gwen by Morgana, as Uther stood to address the knights, all gathered in the arena. He was brief, holding up his hand and giving the signal, everyone began to fight each other in mess of clangs and sparks and horses neighing.

"He's going for Arthur!" Marayna shouted as 'Ethan' rode towards him.

Arthur ducked and the man was thrown off his horse, but kept going at Arthur on foot.

"Arthur's in trouble," Merlin groaned, watching as 'Ethan' jumped and pulled Arthur off his horse, trying to stab him but Arthur managed to roll away and fight the man, when 'Oswald' rode towards him as well.

"You'll have to do something," Gaius hissed, "Otherwise, Arthur will die."

They nodded, taking each other's hand and focusing, their eyes flashing as the strap on 'Oswald's' saddle broke and he fell from his horse, jumping up to keep fighting.

"It's two against one," Marayna squeezed Merlin's hand, "Why's it always two against one!?"

Merlin frowned as another knight moved to help Arthur, "Who is that helping Arthur?"

"I don't know, but I think we should be thankful he is," Gaius remarked.

Marayna squinted, eyeing the other knight, before cheering as she recognized that armor, "Oh I love that man!" Marayna beamed, "It's Gwaine!"

They watched as Gwaine disarmed 'Ethan' and caught the blade, stabbing him with it as the crowd gasped at how the DULL sword had managed to go in. 'Oswald' knocked Arthur down and moved for the kill, when Gwaine blocked the blow and stabbed him as well. The crowd cried out at the sight of the blood, the dull swords were all that was allowed and should NOT have been able to do such damage.

Arthur and Gwaine stood, facing each other, "They'll expect us to fight to the end now," Arthur told him, pulling his helmet off as the crowd cheered, "You fought bravely," he stabbed his sword into the ground, "The field is yours."

Gwaine stuck the sword in the ground as well and lifted his visor, revealing himself.

Arthur's smile faded, "You," he nearly growled, Gwaine smirking at the reaction, "I suppose the glory is yours then."

Gwaine watched as Arthur's gaze flickered to Marayna for a moment, before he returned it to Arthur, "The only glory I seek is the knowledge that I kept safe the heart of a dear friend."

Arthur blinked and straightened at that, seeing Gwaine appeared serious. He felt like an utter fool, to have been so short and harsh with the man, fearing for Marayna's affections when Gwaine himself considered them just friends as well. And to know that Gwaine had only come back to protect _him_ for Marayna...the manw as honorable.

Gwaine held out his hand to Arthur, who clasped it at the forearm, shaking it in an understanding and new friendship as the crowd went wild.

Until, that is, Uther realized who it was that had won.

"Guards!" the king cried, "Seize him!"

~8~

As Uther stood in a tournament tent, Gaius kneeling over the bodies of 'Ethan' and 'Oswald,' Arthur, Merlin, and Marayna joined them, "Is there nothing you can do for them?" Uther asked.

"I'm sorry, it's too late for them," Gaius shook his head.

Uther glared, "The prisoner is responsible for their deaths. I want him executed immediately."

"Do you always pass judgment this quickly without all the facts?" Marayna had to remark, shaking her head.

"How dare you…" Uther turned to her, he may have put up with a lot from the girl, the last time he'd listened only because she had been near execution and had demanded proper recompense, but this?! This was insolence...

She rolled her eyes and stepped past him, ripping the crystal off 'Ethan' and 'Oswald's' necks, the illusion fading to reveal the men beneath the illusion, "Still want to execute Gwaine for protect Arthur from thugs instead of knights?"

"Sir Ethan and Sir Oswald are not all that they seem," Gaius smiled.

"We tried to tell you," Merlin added.

"Sorcery," Uther gasped, frowning at the men.

Arthur nodded, "And once again," he looked this father meaningfully, ready to defend the man more than he had at the earlier trial, "I owe Gwaine my life."

~8~

Arthur walked down the corridor in the castle, to see Merlin, Marayna, Gwen, Morgana, and Gwaine standing around, "The king is prepared to overlook the fact that you fought in the melee."

"That's fantastic!" Merlin cheered.

"Thank you, Arthur," Gwaine smiled.

"But...he's a stubborn man," Arthur cut in.

"Stubborn ass," Marayna coughed, making them smile and even Arthur had to concede to that.

"He will not rescind his judgment. You must leave Camelot."

Gwaine shook his head, still smiling though it was rueful.

"Oh, you must speak to him, Arthur," Morgana shook her head, "Make him change his mind!"

"My Lady…" Gwaine began.

"I'm sorry Gwaine," Arthur told him, "My father's wrong. If it were up to me..."

"I know," he nodded, "You don't need to explain yourself."

"You have until sunset," Arthur added, only feeling a slight twinge when Marayna turned and gave Gwaine a tight hug, reminding himself they were merely friends and that she hugged HIM far more tightly and intimately than Gwaine.

~8~

"Where will you go this time?" Marayna asked as Gwaine sat in the physician's chambers with them, eating a hearty meal before he had to leave.

"I was thinking Mercia."

"It's dangerous," Merlin commented.

"Yeah. And you get a lot more ale for your money," he grinned, before seeing them frowning in concern, "I'm joking."

"Why don't you tell the king who you really are? He'll grant you a pardon, you can stay in Camelot..."

"I could never serve under a man like Uther," Gwaine shook his head.

"What about under a man like Arthur?" Marayna smirked.

"He stood up for me," Gwaine considered that.

"We knew he would," Merlin told him.

"That showed he is, indeed, a noble man."

"Then why don't you stay Wen?" Marayna sighed, reaching out to touch his arm, the man sighing as well but shook his head.

"You could be a knight," Merlin told him, "Like your father. You and Arthur, you fought well together."

"Then maybe one day we will again," he nodded, standing.

Marayna stood up and hugged him again, "Next time you come to Camelot, you find me first or else I'll punch you in that handsomely rugged face of yours," she patted his cheek.

He laughed, nabbing her hand, "Oh but I'd be quite depressed if you bruised such a pretty little hand," he winked at her, nudging her chin with his knuckles before he headed out as the siblings watched.

~8~

"It's a shame," Arthur sighed as he and Marayna watched Gwaine leave, saluting them as he parted before turning to flirt a bit with Gwen on the way, Merlin escorting him along, "He would've been a great knight."

"Maybe one day he will be," Marayna smiled.

"The rules won't allow it," Arthur shook his head, "Knights are noblemen. Always have been, always will be. It's a tradition that..."

"Arthur," Marayna cut in with a look.

He nodded, seeing it, "Perhaps once day they will change."

"They'd have to," she remarked, "When you think about it. Don't the rules also say that princes and servants can't be together?" she turned to lean on the battlement, crossing her arms as she eyed him.

"I...don't believe they expressly state that," Arthur blinked, thinking about just how many rules weren't quite fair just because of birth status, "It's more...implied."

"Well then," she mock-sighed, "Perhaps I SHOULD go after Gwaine and see about dropping the ruse, perhaps it should be a more real partnership and..."

She was cut off suddenly by Arthur kissing her deeply, leaving her quite breathless when he pulled away moments later, "The rules are wrong," he whispered, resting his forehead to hers, "And they WILL change," he opened his eyes to look into hers, a promise in them that made her heart beat faster to see, "I will change them, for you."

"Which rules?" she inquired, tracing a small pattern on his tunic, "Which ones would you change for me?"

"Any of them," he swore, "Mara..." he shook his head, "I want you to be happy, and..."

"What if I wanted the law on magic removed?" she asked suddenly, sounding far more serious than he'd ever heard her.

He looked at her a long while, searching her eyes for something he wasn't sure he knew what, "Why?"

"What if I thought that magic didn't corrupt everyone who used it?" she shrugged, seeing an opening to finally confront his views on it, "What if I thought the law should be made only for those who use it to harm instead of help?"

He considered her words, "You truly believe that? That magic doesn't corrupt all that use it?"

"You were born a prince the same way a Druid was born with magic," she reminded him, "Are YOU going to become the tyrant your father is when you become king, just because it's an increase in power?"

"Of course not," he shook his head though she noted he hadn't countered her claim that his father was a tyrant at times, "I have spent my entire life preparing for the role, slowly gaining more responsibilities and growing into..."

"And how is that different than a Druid who spend their entire life learning to control their magic as it grows stronger?" she countered, "Magic...isn't something sudden Arthur, it's not an inflow of power, it...takes time. It takes patience and dedication, principle and practice, just like learning to be a king."

He eyed her a moment, "And how do you know what magic is like?"

"You know my uncle DID practice it before the Purge, yes?" she was WELL aware that both Arthur and Uther knew, "And your father bent the law to spare HIM instead of thousands of others..."

"Mara..."

"Can you deny it?" she gave him a look, "Countless men and women who so much as read a magic book were killed, uncle wasn't."

Arthur sighed, "I can't."

She nodded, "I asked him Arthur. Because isn't he proof? If he was truly evil and corrupt, how could he be a physician? How could he save the lives he does? How could UTHER trust him?"

Arthur blinked, he...honestly hadn't considered that. It was something they didn't speak of so much that he didn't really think of it often, it was easy to forget that part of Gaius's life.

"Arthur," she reached up and touched his cheek, making him look at her, "If I asked you to, when you were king, _would_ you change the laws on magic?"

He stared into her eyes and she could see the struggle in them, before he sighed, "If it was for that reason, to amend the laws...for you..." he nodded, "I would."

The smile she gave him nearly blinded him and the kiss she gave him sent him stumbling away from the battlements, his arms winding around her to stabilize himself from falling onto his backside and taking her with him, "I love you," she murmured when she pulled away, "You need to know that. I do. I love you Arthur."

"I know," he smiled at that, "I love you as well."

Her smile turned playful though, "Then, if you know...why were you so jealous of Wen?"

He blinked, "I was not jealous. Princes to not get jealous. I..."

"Arthur," she gave him a knowing look.

He sighed, "Perhaps I was...a bit jealous."

"Of Wen?" she laughed, stepping away from him, though keeping her hands with his, "Have you any idea how ridiculous that is?"

"It's not...that ridiculous," he defended, "It would be...easier, if you were with him, for you," he admitted quietly, "There would be less challenges and...you both shared some sort of relationship, false though it was, and..."

"And Gwaine," she stepped an inch closer to him, "Never made me smile this widely," she smiled at him, "Or held my hand," she squeezed his, "Or danced this close to me," she took another step till she was nearly pressed against him again, "Or looked at my EYES for the first few weeks," she rolled them, Arthur flushing as his gaze flickered to where Gwaine's had likely lingered and then up at her eyes, "And..." she let go of his hands to drape them over his shoulders, "Gwaine never got to kiss me on the lips," she smirked at him.

"He didn't, did he?" Arthur started to smile, winding his arms around her waist.

"Hmm..." she hummed in thought, "No."

"And why's that?" he leaned in, his nose brushing hers.

"Well...I wouldn't let him kiss me with all that stubble," she mock-grimaced, "Too itchy," she paused, "If he'd shaved though..."

Arthur laughed, realizing she was jesting, she was joking, that she never would have kissed Gwaine no matter what and leaned in to kiss her himself, pleased and feeling rather warm to know she'd only ever kiss HIM.

A/N: Apparently my mother thinks that staying up till 2am and waking up at 6am every day for the last week is unhealthy. She shut my alarms off after I went to sleep and I literally just woke up 2 minutes ago, realized what time it was, yelled, and ran to my computer to get this up as my mother came to see why I was shouting and told me what she did :( I'm SO sorry it's late :(

On a happier note...Gwaine! I hope you enjoyed the chapter ;) I loved writing Gwaine here and Arthur jealous and that last scene -sigh- I can say that the next chapter was...amusing for me to write ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Yup, it's Gwaine who calls her Ray ;) Lol, that's what you get when Gwaine gets drunk and can't remember your name :)

I couldn't bear to keep writing amnesia Marayna either :( It broke my heart to have Arthur dealing with her :(

I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far! :) I love Percy Jackson, but (and I'm really, really sorry!) I don't usually read stories in the same fandom that I'm planning to write stories in, mostly to not become influenced by what I've read and keep my stories 100% original. Once I've actually written my own PJ story, I'll definitely look at yours :)


	7. Childish Behavior

Childish Behavior

Random celebrations were not something Merlin or Marayna ever expected to experience while in Camelot. Most seemed to be some sort of banquet or feast for a visiting guest or noble, some new knighting, or a tournament celebration. Other times it was some sort of holiday that was celebrated every year, or a birthday. Rarely was there ever a celebration that wasn't scheduled, the last one they could remember was when Marayna had saved Aurora. And even then it was nothing compared to now, though the siblings supposed that it made sense as it was not technically a celebration but more…a sort of makeshift festival, if that was what it could be called.

A travelling troupe of entertainers, much like a small circus had made its way to Camelot and soon the streets were filled with people examining the odd feats the members of the travelling band could accomplish. There were people on stilts, others swallowing swords, breathing fire like a dragon, contorting their bodies into all sorts of shapes and positions. There were jugglers and jesters and tricksters, 'magicians' entertaining the children with sleight of hand. There were even people trying to sell small wares, jewelry, merchandise, even some people trying to act the part of physicians and selling their own potions. But those were more in jest, even when they claimed they were love potions and truth potions and hair growing potions. The fact that the King had allowed the circus to enter, after having Gaius examine the potions and revealing they were basically just flavored juices, the people thought the potions made of natural remedies and not enchanted or magiced and safe to consume.

Arthur had actually given them the day off, in a way, they were to accompany him to the circus performers, he claimed it was upon his father's orders to keep an eye on them, make sure no thieves took advantage of the people, but they weren't quite sure why Uther would do that, he didn't particularly care for the financial situation of the peasants, which were the ones who mostly flocked to the performances. They were suspicious that it was just his way of trying to get them all there for an interesting day. They would have been a bit surprised at his desire to see the feats that they'd heard whispers about but, realizing that this group likely stopped in every five or so years, they realized Arthur had probably always wanted to see it up close but never been allowed. It…pained the siblings to think of all the fun Arthur had missed out on, the normal childhood, all because of Uther's iron grip on his son's life and the pressure he put on the boy.

Marayna, when they'd been talking of it, had remarked offhandedly that if she were a queen and her son wanted to see a performance she'd drop everything and take her, the king be damned. And then she'd fallen very silent as she realized what she'd said and was reminded yet again that the imagined scenario wouldn't ever happen, not just because she refused to consider that she might be a queen one day but because she knew that there could be no child that was her son. They'd had little time to dwell on that though as Arthur swung round to collect them, surprising them with Gwen and Morgana being a part of their merry little group as they set out.

That was another thing that had made them suspicious of Arthur's true intentions, Morgana and Gwen would not have been invited along if this really was a mission from Uther. Arthur would be too worried they'd be a distraction and left them behind. He hardly ever liked taking Merlin and Marayna along with him due to their clumsy nature but he did so anyway out of need for servants and fear of Marayna's wrath if he dared leave her behind.

So there they were, ambling through the streets, mingling with the other peasants who were far too taken with the performances to truly notice that the prince was walking among them. Oh some stopped to bow at him, others give nods, but overall they were quite taken with the flame breathers and jugglers. Arthur though didn't seem perturbed by the 'lack of respect' but rather relieved about it. It really did seem like he just wanted to enjoy himself for once, no one could blame him.

"Rayna look at that," Morgana called as she took Marayna's arm and led her over to a jewelers, eyeing the various necklaces that were there, leaving Arthur, Merlin, and Gwen to watch people tossing their money away at a lone potioner.

'_Are these amulets?_' Morgana asked Marayna quietly in her mind as they looked at the intricate carvings on the pendants.

'_I don't think so,_' she shook her head, trying to make one out, '_They don't have actual order to them, they're just symbols mashed together._'

Morgana nodded, she'd been…hoping she might be able to give Merlin a protective amulet, like the one Gaius wore. It wouldn't do much against possession or very powerful spells, but she hoped she might be able to put something on it or pour her healing abilities into it so if he was ever injured, like with the serket (oh she'd had nightmares about that for weeks!) then he might be able to heal better or faster. And now with Morgause aware that Merlin and Marayna might be a problem in the future, she dreaded to think what her so-called sister would do to him.

'_I CAN help you make one Morgana,_' Marayna offered, knowing that the girl had plans to give one to her brother. She had considered giving one to Arthur but she knew that, in order for the amulet to work, runes would be needed and runes were too connected to magic for Uther to accept them, and if he or Arthur saw even a hint of one, no matter how small…they'd cry sorcery and she'd be executed. So, unfortunately, that meant she and Merlin just had to keep a tighter eye on Arthur.

'_Would you?_' Morgana looked at her. She'd been trying to make one on her own, but it wasn't as easy for a noblewoman to go sneaking about or ask a crafter for something than it was a servant.

'_Of course,_' she smiled, '_He's my brother, I really want him safe._'

Morgana let out a breath and hugged her, only to blink and pull back, "What IS he doing?" she muttered.

Marayna turned around to see Arthur buying something off of a potioner, judging by the color of it, and the chart set up beside the potioner, it was a truths potion of some sort. She could see Merlin and Gwen egging him on to drink it, Arthur rolling his eyes as though he thought it were ridiculous and just some sort of lemon juice…the sour look on his face when he took a gulp left little doubt it was some sort of lemon juice…though she had to wonder if, perhaps, it might be a truth potion and what she might learn from him if it was…

But then she froze, Arthur stumbling away from the man and his assistant who had been taking the money, seeing not only that the two men were watching Arthur intently, but that they were watching him FAR too intently and…they weren't just any men.

They were the two who had attacked her and Arthur in the woods only last month! The ones who had caused her amnesia!

They had to be wearing some sort of enchantment, like Sir 'Ethan' and 'Oswald' as Arthur hadn't recognized them and she knew he knew what they looked like. He'd been tasked with a search for them for two weeks after Uther had learned how she'd taken a blast of magic for his son. But the sorcerers had been lost. Now though, it seemed they were back and ready for another strike against the crown.

"Arthur no!" she cried, running to him but she knew it was too late, he'd already drunk the potion down, "Guards!" she cried to two men who were only mere feet away, watching a man walking on a rope a few feet above the ground, "Sorcerers!" she hated to do it, she really did, but the two men had done something to Arthur as the prince collapsed t the ground, clutching at his throat, Merlin and Gwen already at his side.

She pointed to the two men who seemed stunned she had done that, which was just her luck as the guards were able to grab them, all those in the street watching in horror as Arthur cried out in pain…and started to shrink inside his clothes before their very eyes…

~8~

Uther was…for the first time in many, many years…at a loss of what to do when two men were dragged before the court and thrown to his feet with the proclamation that they were sorcerers. Well, that wasn't what he was at a loss about, no, he'd dealt with sorcerers before, easily. It wasn't even the shock that it was Marayna who had accused them of being so, especially not when two crystals on threads, very familiar ones, ones similar to the ones 'Ethan' and 'Oswald' had worn, were given to him, and Marayna explained the two men there were the two sorcerers who had attacked her and Arthur in the woods before.

None of that surprised him.

The part that did was…that there was a very small, blonde boy who appeared no older than five, standing in front of the two servants and looking near tears.

THAT was the part he was completely ignorant of what to do about. Because he recognized the boy, of course he did, he HAD been there when Arthur grew older and he knew what his son looked like at every stage of his life. The boy…was his son, apparently reverted to his younger years by means of a potion given to him by one of the two sorcerers.

Gaius had theorized that the attack against his son prior to this had been in an attempt to wipe his memory of Camelot, to allow the sorcerers to bend his mind with their lies and make him an enemy of the kingdom without realizing it was HIS kingdom. It had failed and it seemed they were determined to try another tactic though one that appeared to follow the same line of thought. This Arthur was young, impressionable, with no memory of his adult life, only his five years of existence. He had been too young to see the horrors of the Purge, kept well hidden, only ever told that sorcerers were evil and had to be stopped. He knew it wouldn't have been another year or so till Arthur started to question about sorcerers and his lessons expanded to explain their evil nature. The sorcerers clearly wished to kidnap the boy while his mind was still easy to mold and raise him in the reverse, thinking Camelot was the evil one. He'd likely be returned when he as older, Uther vowing to find his son instead of take a new heir, and be the ruin of the kingdom.

And it was thwarted again by the fast acting of his maidservant.

Though it did amuse him to see that his son as shying away from the girl now and standing closer to his manservant. Oh he remembered those years as well, Morgana had teased Arthur relentlessly about his dislike of girls, the boy claiming that they had some sort of girl disease and he didn't want to catch it, that and, according to his son, girls were 'icky.' This would prove to be a most interesting time…if not for the fact that the young prince appeared near tears.

"Gaius?" he turned to his oldest friend, ignoring his son for a moment, he just…he could admit he was not the most compassionate man and…he honestly had no idea what to do if the boy truly started crying in front of everyone, "Can you reverse this?"

Gaius looked between Uther and Arthur and sighed, "I can try, My Lord."

Uther nodded and looked at the servants, "I shall entrust the care of my son to you," he gave them a firm, hard look, "Should any harm or injury befall the prince before this matter has been dealt with it shall be on YOUR heads. Is that understood."

"Yes sire," Merlin nodded, elbowing Marayna in the side as she was undoubtedly about to comment on how the man should take care of his own son in a time like this where the boy was clearly terrified.

She could only imagine what it was like for Arthur to wake up in the market with giant adults standing over him, to look at Morgana and Gwen and see them but NOT them, older thems, and then to be brought to his father, looking ancient, and told that he had been in the clutches of sorcerers, that THEY had done this to him. The way he was trembling told her that this was before Arthur truly knew what the Purge was about but had been told so much that sorcerers were evil that he was just scared of them and what they'd done to him.

She could admit though that the boy was absolutely adorable. He was so innocent and humble, though she could tell he had an arrogant streak to him in how he kept trying to prove himself and boast about what he could do on his own…such as open the doors to the Main Hall (which he'd needed Leon's help with though he'd never admit it)…but that it was done with nothing but a desire to make his father proud and not a prideful remark of his own merit. The boy was shorter than most, more gangly than even Merlin was, and his jawline as too sharp for such a small boy, though she knew they were all things he'd grow into in time.

"Gaius," Uther turned to the man once more, "See to it that Arthur is examined for anything that may help reverse this."

"Yes sire," Gaius nodded and stepped up to Arthur, resting a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder to lead him out, apparently Gaius was the only one who didn't appear different or older…which made the siblings curious just how long Gaius had looked that old for, they could remember a wrinkly, white-haired version of their uncle from when they were small.

~8~

Marayna was, for the first time, actually thinking that it might actually be a blessing that she couldn't have children as she stood at the side of the tournament arena, watching as Arthur, a five-year-old version of him tried to give lessons in combat to the knights, all of them towering over the boy, all in their full armor, and all looking quite annoyed their training was being halted but too aware that this WAS their prince even if he was…smaller than before.

Marayna though, felt their annoyance keenly along with exhaustion and exasperation for the boy. She was almost thankful that Arthur was as controlled and serous as he was as an adult. The boy was just…exhausting and she was almost certain that there was some sort of demon blood in him after the tiring day spent chasing after him. Her brother had, luckily for him, been tasked with gathering some herbs for Gaius, leaving her stuck with the little…well, brat. Her first assumption of what Arthur was like as a child was the farthest thing from reality as it could get apparently. He was, for lack of a better word, a brat.

When Gaius had tried to examine him, Arthur wouldn't sit still, he kept squirming and poking things and touching things and breaking things! He'd made an utter mess of the physician's quarters in his examinations of everything in the room and she'd had to both clean it up after him and make sure he didn't injure himself in the rest of his looking. He'd asked question after question after question only t end up asking an infuriating amount of 'why?'s. On top of all that, he'd bit her! Gaius had been trying to examine the boy's mouth, to see if there was any irritation in his throat from the potion, and she had been tasked with holding his tongue down with a bit of wood…Arthur hadn't liked that and tried to pull the flat stick out of his mouth…biting her in the process.

And then the boy just laughed and hopped off the examination bench to run off! And, of course, she'd had to run after him.

He'd torn apart his room to build a fort, and even though she'd joked about him doing so once before, she as very annoyed to have to first help him upon order from the prince and then been forced to clean it all up when he grew bored of it. He'd then spent an hour or two running around the room and dirtying everything she was trying to clean and put upright. And he kept poking her every time he dashed past her, giggling all the way. She really had NO idea why Merlin and Gaius seemed to think SHE should keep an eye on Arthur, she wasn't (and wouldn't be) one who had experience with children. She could be kind to them, yes, but not take care of them like that! But the two seemed to think her 'maternal instincts' would be just what Arthur needed as he didn't have a mother, that he'd be more inclined to listen to her.

Ha!

She'd managed to talk him into leaving the room, to try and get some fresh air and thinking there couldn't possibly be anything for him to break outside. She'd been wrong. Arthur had dragged her to the kitchens for a snack, gotten it all over his face and clothes and on the floor, which had quite angered the staff there and left her with the task of cleaning him and making him presentable before taking him out of the castle. They'd had to go back to Arthur's rooms for a change of clothes…only for her to realize, to her dismay, that Arthur had somehow managed to get the snack in his hair as well and she'd had to bathe the boy as well.

If she thought the hounds were hard to get washed Arthur was impossible! He struggled against her and ran around the room in his pants trying to avoid her. He'd hidden behind the changing screen, under his bed, in the cupboard, all to avoid his 'bath time.' She'd finally given in and promised him a bedtime story later (something she knew Uther didn't do) if he would just take a bath! He'd agreed…then complained the water was too cold. She'd had to reheat it all while listening to Arthur babble on about pirates for some reason, probably the water in the bath. And he thought that THEY talked too much?!

The bath itself had been another feat to accomplish as Arthur played in his bathwater with much enthusiasm for someone who hadn't wanted to get in the tub to begin with. He splashed and played and even managed to swim in it (she was still trying to work out how THAT happened). He'd gotten water all over the floors that she'd had to clean and soap everywhere. He'd insisted on bubbles as he was a boy and proceeded to make a bubble wig of white and call himself Gaius, which DID amuse her at that point.

But after that it had taken ages to get Arthur dressed, the boy kept shimmying out of her hold and rushing around, thankfully taking his small towel with him as she did NOT want to see that thank you very much. After managing to get him dressed she'd had to lace up his boots…and he'd kicked her. She was sure it was accidental, but it still hurt her arm quite a bit even now. But she'd done it, she's managed to get him cleaned up and out of the room…only for him to immediately run for a pile of mud and a puddle. She'd grabbed him at that point and taken to carrying him in a most undignified manner, under her arm, as he demanded she take him to the knights, claiming he liked watching their training...

Only to realize he now wanted to take over the training completely. It seemed the young Arthur was very perceptive and had picked up on the fact that he should be older and as young because of a spell or something, which, in his mind, meant he was old enough to take over his knights...and she hand to honestly wonder what happened to the prince that he went from THAT perceptive as a child to that oblivious as an adult. But still, the knights did NOT seem happy with his efforts to 'teach' them.

He'd been walking around with a stick before, poking them about their stances and positions, much to their annoyance, and now he'd gathered them together to lecture them about the heat of battle which was both amusing and disturbing to see a five year old go on about. She sighed when she saw one of the knights remark something to the others before they all turned to head off, leaving a shouting Arthur behind…who then decided that mud was a deadly weapon, ran to a section of it on the field, and started lobbing it at that knights.

She felt like crying when Arthur tried to run after them when the mud shots missed their marks…and fell face first into the mud. It looked like another bath was in the plans for the night and she wasn't sure she could handle that a second time. She ran a hand through her hair and made her way towards Arthur as the boy repeatedly tried to get up and only managed to fall back down on his face and backside, getting dirtier and dirtier each time.

~8~

"Please stop fidgeting Arthur," Marayna nearly begged as she tried to pull the boy's blanket up as he laid in bed that night, "You had a long day and you need your rest, growing boys need to keep strong yes?"

"Not a growing boy!" he pouted petulantly, crossing his arms as he sat in bed, "I'm five!"

"Yes," she rolled her eyes, "And I'm sure that's quite a big number, but if you want to not fall asleep and wake up when your 6 you need to get sleep every now and then," she eyed the boy as he kicked at the covers again, "Shall I have your father put you to be?"

Arthur froze at that, "No," he huffed and laid down promptly, "Father…" he began but stopped when she stood and pulled the blanket up, tucking the sides in as she went, "What're you doing?"

She blinked, "Tucking you in?"

He frowned, "Father doesn't."

She let out a little breath at that, "Well I'm not your father."

"You're nice," he offered.

"Thank you."

"And pretty. For a girl," he grimaced.

"And you're rather dashing for a boy," she countered with a laugh, "And when you're older, I'm sure you'll have your pick of pretty princesses to marry when you're king."

Arthur was quiet a moment, "You?"

She blinked again and looked at him, "I'm not a princess Arthur," she reached out and ran a comforting hand through his hair, something that their mother had done for them when they wouldn't get to bed.

"I think you are!" he insisted.

She smiled, "That's nice," was all she could think to say. She knew she couldn't be her usual blunt and coarse self with a five year old and that left her little options when it came to retorts, "Good night," she moved to go when Arthur called out.

"Story!"

"What?" she turned to him.

"You pomised a story!"

She had to sigh at that, running a hand through her hair, she had hadn't she? She moved back to the bed, sitting on the side of it, "Which story do you want to hear?"

"I dunno," he shrugged, "I dunno stories."

Marayna almost frowned at that in pity, of course Uther wouldn't tell his son bedtime stories, "Well…what sort of story do you want to hear? Heroes? Monsters? Legends?"

"Monters!" he cheers, beaming, "Heroes stopping monters! Scary monters!"

She hesitated at that, but…this was ARTHUR, he could probably handle stories about ghosts and demons if she tried, but she thought she'd better stay away from that. So she told the scariest story she knew, about a young prince who had fallen in love, and pushed his love out of the way of a Questing Beast attack. How the prince had gotten hurt, and fallen so ill they thought he'd die! Till a special potion was made to bring him back to life. She may have embellished a few details, made the fight with the Questing Beast more of an epic duel, made the state of the prince afterwards more severe…whatever it was she'd done, she was starting to think she'd made a mistake when she saw Arthur's wide, terrified eyes at the end of it.

Before she could open her mouth to make sure he was ok, the door to the chamber opened and Gaius entered, "Uncle!" she greeted, "Did you manage an antidote?" she really REALLY needed him to have found one.

Gaius sighed, "I was able to extract enough of the potion to determine which one it as, as you're aware, there can be many versions of the same spell or potion," she nodded, "I also inquired of the prisoners but they were little help. It is remarkable how…"

"Uncle," she cut in, giving him a look, "Did you or didn't you?"

"I was unsuccessful in brewing a potion," he told her, seeing her face fall and the girl look like she was about to start crying, which startled him though he had no idea it was from the thought of enduring child-Arthur another day, "However, the potion itself is not in need of an antidote."

"But…" she shook her head, not sure what he meant by that.

"It was the enchantment ON the potion that activated it," Gaius explained, "When the sorcerer who cast it has perished…the spell will end and Arthur will be returned to his normal self. Uther has set their execution for dawn."

Marayna nodded, Gaius bowing to Arthur before he headed out. She let out a long breath, seeing that Arthur didn't appear scared anymore and got up to go.

"Mara?" he called, making her freeze at the familiar name coming to her in such a small, innocent voice, "Will you stay?" she looked back to see tears in Arthur's eyes, "M'scared."

She had to smile gently at that, at the admission, whether from the story or the knowledge the spell would end she didn't know, but…there was Arthur, asking for her help, "Of course," she nodded, heading back over to him, "But just till you fall asleep ok?"

The boy nodded eagerly and laid down on his side, facing her, just…staring at her as he slowly drifted off, Marayna drifting as well without realizing it.

~8~

"Mara!" Arthur's voice called, and she jolted awake, feeling someone shaking her.

She blinked blearily, only to see Arthur, fully grown, sitting up in bed before her, the light of dawn streaming through the windows she hadn't closed the curtains of last night, "Arthur?" she looked at him, until it registered he was an adult Arthur, and half-threw herself at him, "I'm SO glad you're back."

Arthur smiled into the hug, very pleased with it, before he pulled away, a faint pink tint on his cheeks, "I apologize for any stress I may have caused you, I was…quite rambunctious as a child, I've been told."

"Rambunctious is putting it delicately," she laughed, sitting on the edge of the bed again, "How are you feeling?"

"Mortified," he admitted, "That you had to be exposed to me like…that," he winced.

"You remember then?" she had to ask, as the younger him hadn't remembered his older self at all.

"Unfortunately yes," he sighed, but looked at her with a small smile, taking her hand, "You were wonderful though. I know I was wearing you thin, but…you were truly remarkable Mara," he shook his head as he eyed her, "You handled me in a better way than most of my many, MANY nurses did," he laughed.

She shrugged, "No different than dealing with YOU," she nudged him, "Just…a smaller, louder, more energetic version of you."

"And you did wonderfully," he looked at her softly, "One day Mara…you will be a truly amazing mother."

Her smile fell at that, "I…doubt that."

"I don't," he shook his head, squeezing her hand, "I…I like to think it will be a…mother to my children," his cheeks were on fire now as he admitted to that, to the small dreams he had of their future.

But she shook her head, "I…can't."

"Mara," he looked at her pleadingly, "You never truly said why you said no to my proposal when Vivian was here," he ran his thumb along her knuckles, "Was it because I was enchanted at the time? For I assure you my feelings were VERY real and still are and…"

"It's not that," she cut in, "It's not that I…don't think it possible we wed, it's…even if we were able to I just…can't."

"I don't understand," he shook his head, "Do you not want children? It would be quite difficult as Queen, I WOULD need an heir and…"

"And that's another reason why we cannot wed," she swallowed hard, taking a breath, "Arthur…I can't have children."

He blinked at her, "Why not? You'd make a wonderful mother. And if you're worried about your figure or whatever it is girls…"

"Arthur," she cut in, looking at him earnestly, "I…CANNOT have children," she looked down, "I'm…I'm barren."

"What?" he breathed, staring at her.

"I wasn't always," she shrugged, looking away, "There was an incident with a spooked horse in Ealdor and I got hurt, badly. There was bleeding and scarring and I…can't have children."

She said it all so casually that anyone else who hadn't been listening to her as intently as he was would have mistaken her words for being said in an uncaring manner, but he heard it, the tremor in her voice. It made sense to him now, her anger towards William, the vague hints that the situation when she'd been a child, when the horse had broken her arm, was worse than it seemed.

"You…can't have children," he repeated.

She nodded, "Which makes producing an heir, probably the single most important thing a Queen could do, rather difficult," she glanced at him a moment, "Which means…I can't be your Queen Arthur."

"You could be," he insisted, looking at her, squeezing her hand, "I still want you to be."

"How?" she gave a near bitter laugh at that, "The people will not accept it if you produced a bastard son with someone else, believe me Arthur I know the people they are not very accepting of bastards, I AM one I know."

Arthur swallowed, he'd been…aware of her mother's marital status from vague references, but to hear it out loud, to hear her putting herself even further away from him, "That doesn't matter to me what you are," he told her, "And no, I wasn't referencing taking a mistress. Mara…" he shook his head, "YOU are it for me. No one else."

"But I can't give you an heir!"

"Then we'll adopt!" he argued.

She did laugh at that, "Uther's spent too long building up his reign," she shook her head, "He's spent too long proclaiming YOU as his blood born son and heir, stressing how important lineage and blood is in all of this. The people will NOT accept a child that is not directly descended from Uther, you KNOW that."

"Well we'll…we'll find some way to help you conceive then."

"How? Magic? We both know how that ends," she watched him flinch at the thought of either losing her or becoming like his father, or both, "Arthur…it cannot happen."

"Then I just won't have an heir," he determined.

"And what of the throne?" she asked, "After you pass on, with no heir to take over, Camelot will fall to ruin of people fighting over her."

"No," he shook his head, "If I appoint a close family member, the next in line after me, one of Father's…brothers or nephews or something, that will hold the chaos at bay."

Marayna looked at him a long while, "Why are you so set on all these substitutions?" she asked in a quiet voice, "They're all too dangerous Arthur and…I'M not worth the trouble."

Arthur reached out and touched her cheek, "You are worth EVERYTHING to me Mara," he told her, tears in his eyes more from hearing her speak like that about herself than the thought of what challenges they'd face if they were ever to wed, "And I would give up everything to be with you. It is YOU…or no one else," he told her, "In which case an heir would be nonexistent anyway. And I'd rather you beside me as my queen than to rule as a lonely king."

Marayna looked down at that, feeling the tears she'd tried to keep back falling down her cheeks. Arthur said nothing more as he slid closer to her and just…held her.

Because there was nothing anyone could say to make their situation better, but he needed her to know he would always be there for her, he would always choose HER.

Always.

A/N: Awww, Arthur knows :( And he still picks Marayna :') I wonder if he realizes just how many challenges they'll have to face beyond just that? I wonder if he'll find out about her magic? }:)

Some notes on reviews...

Oh there'll be quite a few Arthur-Merlin friendship moments to come ;) They'll have quite a lot of bonding to do now that they're all more serious about their girls ;)

That's awesome that you wrote a Mordred story :) If it's ok, would you be willing to wait till about...April? (I think) That's when this story should be over and I don't really read stories in the same fandom I'm writing/plan to write, to try and keep everything 100% original. I should be done by then and the story should be safe at that point ;) Mordred will play a pretty big role in this story so I just want to be careful :)

I can't say if Mordred will be good too, we won't find that out till near the end, but there'll be a moment at the start of Series 5 and one in this series that'll hint ;)


	8. The Crystal Cave

The Crystal Cave

Merlin jerked awake to the sound of screaming, and immediately turned to see Morgana had jolted up, her eyes wide with tears in them. He quickly moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her as he held her, thankful that they'd taken precautions to put sort of wards around her doors so that the guards wouldn't hear anything inside the room. They enjoyed staying up late, talking, he loved the moments where he got her to giggle as she fell asleep and they didn't want the guards to disturb them. They didn't have to worry about Morgana ever being in danger of someone attacking her in the room either, what with him there, and there were a few more wards around the room to prevent infiltration either by magic or other means. She was safe in that regard.

"Gana!" he gasped, pulling her into his arms, holding her close as she shook, "Morgana...it's alright," he murmured in her ear comfortingly, "It's ok..."

"Uther..." she whimpered, closing her eyes shut tight.

He frowned, "A...vision?"

"No," she shook her head, "It was the mandrake."

He nodded, pressing a kiss to her head, this wasn't the first time she'd had a nightmare about what she'd been forced to do to Uther with the mandrake root. She'd woken up terrified and crying more times than he cared to remember, the guilt and the horror of it all striking her. She kept dreaming of the king deteriorating before her eyes, so much so that, in a way, Uther had become like a mandrake root to her, what she saw when she felt guilty. He knew how much she DIDN'T want to subject Uther to that root, and to see the handiwork of it all before her eyes, the guilt was eating away at her.

It was even worse because...

"It won't stop," she whispered, clutching the front of his nightshirt, "Morgause, she won't stop till Uther's dead and..." she shook her head, "It'll get worse."

He could only hold her tighter, both of them all too aware how true that was, that Morgause would just get more vicious, ask Morgana to do more terrible things. Merlin didn't want that to happen, at all, if just the mandrake root was affecting her this badly...he couldn't imagine what would happen the next time Morgause came calling.

He closed his eyes, brushing her hair away from her face as he rocked her gently, murmuring soothing words to her till she drifted off, swearing to himself he'd find a way to get her out of the ploy with Morgause. They didn't NEED a spy on Morgause's side. With Morgana's visions, with her scrying and dreams, they'd be prepared. And even if they weren't, they had been lucky in the past, they had dealt with what came at them and beat them...they could do it again.

They WOULD do it again, for as long as it took, if it meant that Morgana would be safe and out of Morgause's clutches.

He would see her safe no matter what.

~8~

That didn't, however, mean that he and his sister would be safe in the process. They were, that very next day, running through the woods from a set of bandits, Merlin and Arthur huffing though Marayna was positively beaming as she ran with them. And why wouldn't she be happy? Her skirt was torn to all hell, ripped just up to her knees which allowed her to run without needing to hike it up. She loved it. They jumped over a small ledge and ducked behind some rocks, hoping that the others hadn't seen them.

"Are they still after us?" Merlin gasped.

"I told you we'd outrun them," Arthur hissed.

"I really doubt that'll happen," Marayna scoffed.

"Why is it you never trust me?" Arthur rolled his eyes at them.

"Hmm..." she hummed, "Why is it you never listen to us?"

"I'm getting better!" he huffed...only to hear the bandits shouting, spotting them running at them from the opposite direction, having caught sight of them. Arthur jumped to his feet, pulling them up, "Come on, this way!"

"Where are we going?!" Merlin panted as they followed.

"Trust me!"

The siblings rolled their eyes this time, that worked almost as well as them telling him to 'listen to us,' but they had little time to think on that as the bandits got closer...only for Marayna to stop running suddenly, sensing something about the forest around them, really NOT wanting to take another step forward, "Arthur!"

"What are you doing?" Arthur yelled, turning around and grabbing her hand, pulling her on with him and Merlin past two large, old statues of men, "Come on!"

They ran down a flight of stone steps, through what looked like ruins, Merlin frowning at the sight of them, starting to feel what his sister was feeling, an immense sense of dread, "What is this place?"

"The Valley of the Fallen Kings," he huffed, leading them on.

"It's cursed isn't it?" Marayna gasped, jumping down the last step.

"No," Arthur said, a little too quickly for them to feel comforted, and then HAD to add, "Not unless you're superstitious."

The siblings nearly groaned at that, asking someone who had magic if they believed in curses was like asking a bird if they believed it was their wings that let them fly. Just ridiculous.

"So it's cursed," Marayna reached out and took her brother's hand, the unsettling feeling growing in them even more the further they followed Arthur into the ruins.

"It's a _myth_," Arthur corrected, before slowing down and turning to face them, grinning, "They'll never follow us in here. They won't dare. Trust me."

"If you say that one more time," Merlin threatened, squeezing his sister's hand, feeling her shaking, REALLY _not_ liking the place. And he couldn't blame her, there was just something so...off about it. It almost felt like it had been a place of magic once, but that it had died out...they were feeling the decay of it, the...rotting soul of magic and it was really making them squirm and it was starting to feel harder to breathe.

And, of course, (the siblings liked to blame Arthur's big mouth) the bandits did in fact chase them through the valley, which led to more running, which also led to Arthur getting struck by an arrow and toppling to the ground with a grunt just as they turned a corner, "What was that?"

"An arrow," Marayna rolled her eyes at him, that much should have been obvious, one would think. Merlin quickly pulled Arthur to his feet, slinging his arm around the man's shoulder, helping him off.

"An arrow?" Arthur repeated, though they could hear a sort of slur sound in his words, "Oh, good. For a moment I thought it was something terrible..." before he promptly passed out.

"Seriously?!" Merlin groaned as Marayna came to help drag him off, needing to hide before the bandits caught up to them, needing to get Arthur somewhere safe that they could tend to his arrow wound.

~8~

Marayna looked at Merlin a long moment, the two of them really not wanting to do this but knowing they had to to help Arthur. She took a breath and reached out, seeing Merlin prepared and holding Arthur down, and pulled the arrow out of Arthur's shoulder as Merlin quickly moved in and placed an herbal pouch from the fire they'd started beside them onto Arthur's forehead, pressing some salve onto his wound. That was at least one good thing about all the excuses of herb gathering they'd used to cover for magic, they DID know a fair bit about herbs now. Not much, but enough to be able to make a salve and try to help a wound, though they both knew they needed to get him to Gaius quickly.

"Come on," Merlin muttered, "Dollophead."

"You have to recover, Artie, we need you to," Marayna told him as Merlin playfully scoffed, "Oh, alright, _I_ need you to."

Merlin put his hand over the arrow's wound when Arthur didn't stir at Marayna's pleas, "Þurh haele dolgbenn," he whispered, his eyes flashing.

"Nothing," Marayna sighed, seeing that the wound was still there.

"Listen to me, clotpole," Merlin tried again, "I don't care if you die. There are plenty of other princes. You're not the only pompous, supercilious...condescending, royal...imbecile we could work for. The world is full of them. But you _are_ the only one my sister loves and'll marry one day..."

"Gee thanks Merlin," Marayna punched his arm, "Remind me about that fate," she added jokingly, before her gaze flickered to the wound too, "Here, let me try," she put her hand over the wound and tried another spell, "Licsar ge staðol nu."

"Still nothing," Merlin murmured, rubbing his head at the same time his sister ran a hand through her hair, both of them frustrated and worried, "I wish Morgana was here."

Marayna nodded, the woman was really getting very good at healing, they'd noticed. She still accompanied Gaius on his rounds at times, playing it off as just a noblewoman walking and talking with an old man, but even they could see that there was an increase in health, especially among the children and the elderly, Gaius had more time to restock his supplies and potions because of that, spending less time worrying about everything. They would have given anything for her to be there, they were quite sure she'd have healed him at least enough to get him back to Gaius alive, which was not looking likely at this point. Merlin looked up and put a hand on his sister's shoulder, seeing tears in her eyes as she looked down at Arthur's prone form, the man far too pale...

When a voice spoke behind them, "Tell me, why are you so sad?"

They looked over to see an older man in a cloak, carrying a staff, eyeing them in concern, "It's our master," Merlin explained, "My...friend. My sister's love," he gestured at Arthur.

"He was shot with an arrow and...we...we don't know how to help him," Marayna murmured, tears coming to her eyes as it really hit her. Saying it out loud...why did it always make it that much more real?

The man merely smiled gently at her, "Then do not waste your tears. For I can tell you that the time for him to die is not yet upon us," he moved to their side, kneeling down as they eyed him warily, a little unsure of the man given what he'd said. They could sense the powerful magic in him, and the fact that he knew of Arthur's destiny...well, so had Nimueh. They weren't about to jump to any sort of judgement on the man though, they weren't Uther, they would wait and see what he did and...he seemed kind, he had a very concerned air to him, a compassionate face, "Don't be afraid. My name is Talieson."

"I'm Merlin," Merlin offered in return, "And this is my sister, Marayna."

"I know who you are," the man gave them a polite nod, "The moment of our meeting has been written for many, many years," he smiled warmly at them, "You are Emrys, Dragonlord and Archmage, and Reesa, High Priestess and future Queen of Camelot," he chuckled lightly at their startled expressions and reached out to put his hand on the wound, "Wel cene hole," he breathed, his eyes flashing.

They stared as Arthur's pale skin colored, the boy stirring but not waking, "Arthur?" Marayna whispered, reaching out to touch his cheek as he turned his head into it, making her smile at the action, "Scare me like that again Artie..." she threatened lightly.

"He is sleeping," Talieson murmured, "Within hours he will be fully recovered."

"You sure?" Merlin glanced at the man.

"If my memory serves me well."

"Why wouldn't it?" Marayna frowned, the man didn't appear to be THAT old and he gave such an air of confidence they couldn't imagine him being uncertain about anything.

"I want to show you something, Merlin, Marayna," he said suddenly, standing.

"What?" Merlin hesitated.

"You must wait and see," he turned, gesturing them to follow.

"Where are we going?" he asked as the two of them moved through the woods after the man, stopping before the mouth of a cave, the edges glistening.

"What is this place?" Marayna frowned taking a breath, feeling the magic radiating off of the stone, Merlin stiffening beside her as he felt it too.

"In good time, you will discover all," Talieson replied, heading in, revealing the inside of the cave to be filled with crystals, naturally growing everywhere, covering every surface and making it seem as though the cave were carved out of crystal itself.

"Where are we?" Merlin breathed.

"Is this..." Marayna paused, looking around, feeling like she should know the place, but just...lost it at the last minute.

Talieson nodded, "It is the Crystal Cave, where magic began."

Merlin paused by one crystal, frowning at it, "Aya," he called her over, reaching out a hand to take hers as they stood, staring into a crystal, an image flashing in its heart...

..._an aged Merlin glaring out at them_...

..._Morgana, sitting on the throne of Camelot, Morgause beside her, a crown on her head_...

..._Marayna staring, with tears in her eyes, wrinkles on her face as well_...

"What is it you see?" Talieson wondered asked as they gasped and turned away.

"Nothing," Marayna frowned, at the same time Merlin said, "Flashes."

"I've seen something like this before in the Crystal of Neahtid," Merlin continued.

"What you see here is exactly the same," Talieson nodded, "For the Crystal of Neahtid was hewn from this very cave. Look into them, Emrys. Truly look Reesa. Much will be revealed."

Merlin shook his head, not wanting to see horrors like he did in the crystal, "No!" he tugged his sister back, "Take us out of here," he spun around only to see that the entrance was somehow gone, "How do we get back to Arthur?"

"The future is hidden to all but a very few," Talieson merely shook his head, "You are two such people."

"No!" Merlin glared, rising to his full height, "I've been through this before, I will_ not_ see my sister suffer the same."

"Perhaps there is a reason you were brought here at this moment in time."

"And what reason is that?" Marayna tensed, not liking that.

"Only the crystals can tell you," the man gestured to them, "They contain futures that are not yet born. The secrets they reveal, Emrys, Reesa, are unique to you, and you alone. Look into them, Emrys. Truly look Reesa," he repeated, "Use what you see for good."

Marayna squeezed Merlin's hand, making him look at her as they shared a silent decision. If...if what they saw could help them prevent some sort of evil, then...they had to look, their consciences wouldn't let them rest if something bad happened. So they walked down the cave, looking into the crystals as they went, seeing so many images that their heads pounded.

..._Morgana stroked a rearing horse_...

..._Merlin cried out near a fire_...

..._Morgana pulled an ornate dagger out, jeweled, and stared at it_...

..._a figure strode down the hall in a red cloak, heading for Uther's chambers_...

..._Marayna looked up at Kilgharrah with a glare_...

..._Morgana looked down and pulled out the dagger_...

..._Uther gasped awake, fear in his eyes_...

"I don't understand," Marayna gasped, pulling away as the images came faster, in such flashes that they couldn't even keep up, all the images mixing, blurring, out of order, "Morgana would never..."

"What was that?!" Merlin demanded, turning to Talieson...but the man was gone.

~8~

'_It's not true Merlin,_' Marayna told her brother as they sat back at their makeshift campsite, the poor boy just staring out into space, worried for Morgana, as she sat beside him, leaning on his arm in comfort, '_Whatever that was, it wasn't her. Morgana would NEVER do that._'

The images...it made it seem like Morgana was going to try and murder Uther, stab him with that dagger or something but...they just couldn't reconcile the girl who still had nightmares about what the mandrake root had done with the woman who would stab someone in cold blood. The closest she had ever come to murdering anyone was when she'd lured Uther to her father's grave and to an ambush...but that had all been preplanned with the intent to rescue him, never EVER did she plan to murder the king.

So what did the visions mean?

'_I know,_' he replied, nodding slowly, leaning against her as well, '_But...what if Morgause forces her to act before she can warn us?_'

'_We'll talk to her as soon as we get back,_' she promised.

He smiled, resting his head against hers for only a moment...when he was suddenly hit by a sack, nearly sending him toppling off the log he was sitting on.

"You look like a startled stoat," Arthur remarked, the prince now awake and a little too active for their liking, a little too chipper both for someone who had just been shot at with an arrow and for their current thoughts and worries for Morgana. They had NO doubt that Morgana was not going to really murder Uther, but...Morgause could be a fierce enemy and if she forced Morgana's hand, it would put the woman in even worse a mindset than she was.

"Yeah?" Merlin countered, a little too bitterly for his usual self, "Well, at least I don't look like a bone idle...toad."

"Boys," Marayna shook her head, standing, her hands moving onto her hips as she gave 'the look' that all mothers, all women, seemed able to do, "Enough of that, time to go."

"You're saying I look like a toad?" Arthur hissed at Merlin as Marayna started off.

"Yeah," he whispered back, the two of them acting more like children trying to hide from their nurse than grown men, "And maybe one day you'll magically transform into a handsome prince. Since magic's outlawed, that'll probably never happen."

"Come on!" Marayna shouted, "Let's _go_."

"Mara," Arthur shook his head fondly at her, though he couldn't deny the little thrill that went through him at hearing her so forceful, "_I'm_ the one who gives the orders, remember?"

"Yeah well, if I _had_ accepted your offer for marriage I'd be princess right now and I'd give orders too," she countered, "Let's go!"

~8~

"I don't understand," Arthur muttered as they walked through a field, heading for Camelot, "You said I had an _arrow_ in my back. How come all I can feel is a slight bruise?"

"Don't know," Merlin mumbled as he took the lead, now able to see the castle in the distance, his thoughts turning to Morgana even more, concerned about whether she was alright, whether Morgause may have tried to contact her already or something equally as bad.

"Probably was just stuck in your armor or something," Marayna sighed, glancing at her brother in worry.

"Merlin," Arthur called, sensing his servant's lack of real answering and knowing he was the worst liar so if there was something to be discovered, Merlin was the one to target, "Something happen you're not telling me about?"

"No," was all he said.

"Come on. I'm missing your usual prattle."

"Certainly making up for it," he muttered, continuing on.

"Still haven't answered my question."

"But I did," Marayna reminded him, "The arrow just pierced your armor but didn't strike you. Then you knocked yourself out when you fell down, like the clumsy prat you are."

"Alright..." Arthur began slowly, letting the minor insult roll off him as he realized...if he'd been knocked out then it had been up to his servants to get him to safety, and clearly they had if he was still alive and they were too, "I don't normally say things like this, but...you did a good job back there," but Merlin didn't react, "D'you hear what I just said?" he called to Merlin, but still the man was silent, "Alright. Maybe I should give you some kind of reward. What do you want?"

"Some peace and quiet," Merlin huffed, reaching the gates of the castle.

"To not wear dresses," Marayna answered promptly, holding out the edge of her dress, smirking when Arthur looked down and saw her legs and his head snapped back up, pink on his cheeks.

~8~

"The bandits probably have a stronghold somewhere in the White Mountains," Arthur was saying to his father as he gave his report of the incident to the court, "How we escaped, I'll never know. Although, _some_ credit must go to my servants, Merlin and Mara."

Marayna nudged Merlin as she stood beside him, but his gaze was only on Morgana, who was starting to frown, seeing his look. Marayna knew he wasn't telling the girl what they'd seen, any sort of display of emotion that didn't suit the situation would be seen with suspicion and they couldn't risk a reaction from Morgana in front of Uther.

"Dispatch a patrol," Uther ordered, "I want these men caught and brought to justice."

"Immediately, father."

"For a moment, we feared you might miss Lady Morgana's birthday," Uther remarked as the court started to leave.

"It'd take more than a bunch of thieves to keep me from such a feast," Arthur smiled.

Uther nodded, "Tomorrow promises to be quite a night."

The siblings looked at each other, unable to help the pit in their stomachs that told them their visions might just happen at that time too.

~8~

"Gaius, I can't get these visions out of my head," Merlin remarked as he sat beside Morgana in the physician's chambers, Marayna and Gwen at the other side of the work bench from him, having told them what they'd seen, Morgana clutching Merlin's hand at what they'd discovered.

"You are extremely lucky to have seen the Crystal Cave," Gaius remarked, "Even before the Great Purge wizards would talk about it with reverence..."

"Yeah, it's lovely," Marayna deadpanned, "More concerned about the man who showed us it and if he tricked us, thanks."

Gaius scoffed, "I doubt it. Talieson was a seer to the great kings of old. It is said that the Crystal Cave was a source of his prophecies. He died, I'd say, about 300 years ago. Whatever he may have told you, it was the crystals that gave him the foresight not the other way around."

"He said there was a reason we were brought there right then," Marayna frowned, "Does that mean what we saw is going to happen soon?"

Morgana shook her head, "I'm _not_ going to kill Uther!"

"We don't think you would," Merlin told her earnestly, all the faith in the world in her shining at her through his eyes, "We doubted it the_ moment_ we saw it," he reached out and touched her cheek, brushing a lock of her black hair behind her ear, "We trust you Gana, and not just because of that rubbish Blood Oath either."

"The Crystals are treacherous," Gaius warned them, "What you saw may not be all that it seemed."

"Maybe it's just Morgause's second plan?" Gwen suggested.

"What?" Morgana looked over, not quite sure they'd worked out a first plan.

"What if, THIS plan, this vision...was just one that was coming that you _wouldn't_ have had time to warn them about when Morgause contacted you about it?" Gwen shrugged, "Maybe they saw it so they'd still know of it without you telling them?"

"It's possible," Gaius nodded, the five of them quieting in their thoughts, Merlin and Morgana gripping each other's hands tightly.

~8~

As Merlin and Marayna stepped into Arthur's chambers the next morning, Merlin with breakfast, Marayna with laundry, they spotted Arthur already up and dressed and pulling on his boots, "You're up..." Marayna began, hesitant, every time he was it always seemed like he was enchanted or something. She was starting to think it an omen of sorts, "...and dressed...should we be worried?"

"It's Morgana's birthday," he rolled his eyes, "I have to get her a present."

"We got her a bracelet," Marayna smiled, nudging Merlin, they'd both chipped in when it came to putting the gift together.

Merlin, it seemed had the same thought that Morgana had had a short while ago when Arthur had been turned into a child. He wanted to give her some sort of extra protection, like...an amulet but smaller, less noticable, and just something to let her know he'd always be there to protect her, even when he wasn't physically beside her. He'd managed to scrap up enough money (with a little help from his sister) to buy a small bracelet for her. Marayna had helped him inscribe some runes onto it, the writing small enough where no one would see them unless Morgana physically held the little charms around the edges up to another's face. They'd both put some protective spell onto the charm, though Marayna was sure that it was more Merlin's desire to protect his love and his natural affinity with defensive magic that made the spells so strong. She could feel it, even just holding the bracelet, how much protection, energy, and love was put into it..

"What are you getting her?" Merlin asked.

"Ah, it's a secret," Arthur smiled.

"Come on, you can tell us."

"A dagger."

He didn't even notice them freeze and exchange looks at that.

~8~

They had joined Gwen at greeting Morgana when she returned from a ride with Uther, the man insisting on taking her to visit her father's grave, as was tradition for the start of her celebration, to see her stroking her beautiful white horse, the one her father had given her before he'd died, as it reared.

"Oh no..." Merlin breathed, seeing the familiar image like they had in the crystals, "It's happening."

"We saw that in the cave," Marayna explained to Gwen when the girl gave her a curious look.

Gwen frowned, "Do you honestly believe that Morgana will try to kill Uther?"

"No!" Merlin shouted, turning to her and speaking more quietly when he noticed others glancing over at them, "We just...I don't want her put in a position like that where Morgause is going to force her to stab someone!"

"Arthur's present for Morgana, Gwen," Marayna added, giving more context to the situation, "He's told us it's a _dagger_."

"A dagger?" Gwen shifted at that, growing concerned as well.

Morgause was...powerful, and if she wished...there were ways to force Morgana's hand, to make her do things she wouldn't want to do. If she ever found out about Morgana's deceit...it would be all too easy for her to try and threaten her with the people she loved to get her to do as she wished. They could only hope that, if that day ever came, they would be there to defend Morgana and remind her that they were more than capable of protecting themselves and not to worry about them, not to let Morgause get to her through them.

~8~

"Ah, Merlin," Arthur smiled as his manservant entered his chambers before the feast, Marayna having been called to tend to Morgana, the woman needing extra help to prepare for such a special feast, "Have you done my clothes for the feast?"

"No," Merlin said simply.

"No?" he scoffed, only to see that Merlin was serious, "No. Well, what_ have_ you been doing? Hmm?" Merlin shrugged, "Right. Well, you can start by pressing my robe," he threw one at him, "And, er, cleaning my shirts," and a few shirts, "And, er, ooh, polishing my boots," and boots, before turning to close a box on his desk, "Ah, Morgana's present. What do you think?" he pulled out...a plain little dagger, holding it up, "Beautiful, isn't it? Feel the balance, feel the sharpness of the blade."

Merlin smiled in relief, seeing the PLAIN dagger whereas the one in the vision had been jeweled and ornate, "Yeah. It's just what every woman wants, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?" Arthur frowned, hearing something in Merlin's tone, "Mara liked the one I got her, it was small enough to fit in her hair incase she was ever unable to wear her boots, so she'd be protected, and..."

"Aya's not Gana," Merlin nodded, though he was touched that Arthur cared enough about his sister to think of THAT when he'd given her the small dagger. He hadn't quite seen Marayna use it or take it out of her rooms, but then again, there wasn't really a need for her to wear her hair up and not wear her boots, "I'm no expert, but don't women normally go for pretty things? Like, maybe, jewelry?"

He shook his head and smiled, heading out of the room, relieved he wouldn't have to steal the dagger to try and prevent the future from happening. If he could convince Arthur to get her a necklace or tiara or something instead of a weapon at all, he'd be even happier.

~8~

"How do I look?" Merlin asked as he spun around for Gaius and Marayna to look him over in the physician's chambers later that night.

"Same as you always do," Gaius smiled, and it was true, he was wearing his usual red and blue attire, though his shirt looked a bit new.

"Which means handsome," Marayna nodded, stepping up to mess his hair up, "Morgana will be pleased."

He blushed, patting his hair down as Gaius eyed him, "You've brightened up," the older man noted.

"I've seen Morgana's present," he told them.

"Is it the dagger?" Marayna asked.

He shook his head, "It's very plain. Bit boring."

"And _not_ like the one you saw?" Gaius guessed at why he was so happy even though it was a dagger.

"No, that was sumptuous, ornate. I'd probably disappointed if I were Morgana," he laughed.

"For about a minute, till she sees_ you_," Marayna countered, "Then she'll be all smiles again."

Merlin beamed at that, he liked the idea of being able to make the woman he loved smile.

~8~

"To Lady Morgana," the nobles toasted as they feasted in the banquet hall.

Uther patted a box in front of Morgana and she stood, opening it to see a lovely necklace from Uther. She turned letting him put it on her, no one noticing the new bracelet on her wrist as she held her hair up for the king.

Arthur stepped up a moment later as she turned back around, nodding a knight over to present her with a box, "Happy birthday," Arthur smiled.

"Arthur," she grinned, opening it, only to gasp, her face draining of color as she saw a bejeweled dagger in the box. She swallowed hard, pulling it out of its sheath as Merlin and Marayna stiffened, seeing another flash from their vision.

The nobles cheered as Morgana stared at the dagger in horror for a moment before forcing herself to give a tentative smile to Arthur, "It's lovely, thank you," she spoke, hoping her voice wasn't shaking as badly as she thought it might be, putting it down and nudging the box away from her, trying to pretend like that hadn't happened.

Arthur beamed and walked over to Merlin as the party commenced again, patting him on the back, "It's not often you're right, Merlin, but this is one of those rare occasions. Girls _do_ like pretty things," he held out a rose to Marayna as well, the girl taking it though without the excitement or blush that should have accompanied it, not that Arthur noticed, just happy his gift had been well received, "Thanks," he winked at Merlin before he continued on.

~8~

Merlin and Morgana stood in her chambers that night, speaking quietly, while Marayna examined the dagger, Gwen sorting through the gifts, all of them just trying to find something to distract themselves from how the vision was playing out, "Hairbrush," she put it to the side, "Hairbrush," and another, "Hairbrush," and one more, "Handkerchief..." she offered that one a smile, before sighing at the next gift, "Hairbrush..." she squinted at a hand mirror though, examining the note attached to it, "Who's King Gromause?"

Morgana stiffened, clearly recognizing the name, "Give that to me," she took it and held it in her hands warily before breathing on the mirror to fog it up. The four of them watched as a message from Morgause appeared, 'Sister, come to the darkling woods at midnight. Morgause.'

"I'm _not_ going," Morgana shook her head, turning to throw the mirror to the ground, shattering it.

"Morgana..." Merlin began, knowing she hated doing as the witch asked, trying to search his brain for anything that would help.

"No!" she shouted, cutting him off, "I will _not_ be her puppet. Not again, _never_ again," she looked at them with tears in her eyes, the horror of the mandrake haunting her, it turned her stomach to do that, she'd hated every minute of it, the guilt of what she'd done...it wasn't her, that...evil was NOT her, "She seeks for me to kill the king and I will not! Uther may be a tyrant and a brute but..." she shook her head, "He took me in. He's Arthur's father and he is still the king!"

"What will you do though?" Gwen asked quietly, moving to sit beside her as the girl fell back to sit on the chest at the end of her bed, "When she discovers your allegiance? She will not be happy."

"Fight her," Morgana determined, nodding firmly, "She's known I would not harm Uther in the past and she couldn't kill me then."

"But now you KNOW she's your sister," Marayna reminded her, putting a hand on her arm as she knelt before the woman, "Now she'll think you owe her even more loyalty."

"Well that is too bad for her," Morgana set her jaw, "I am through being her slave."

Merlin smiled at her, sitting on her other side and taking her hand, "And Aya and I will be right there to help you if Morgause tries anything."

Morgana looked at him, "Thank you," she breathed, both touched that he was so determined to protect her and that he supported her. She knew what she'd be giving up in doing this, the advantage of knowing what Morgause would plan...but she could NOT stand the thought of harming Uther any more than she already had. And it meant the world to her to know that Merlin understood that and that he was going to help her, that they all were.

~8~

In the middle of the night, Morgana and Merlin awoke, feeling a surge of magic within the castle, Marayna doing the same on the other end, "It's her," Morgana breathed, getting up, "It's Morgause..."

"Morgana you can't go meet her," Merlin tried to argue, "We need to wait for Aya and..." they didn't NEED to wait, but...he felt better if his sister was there, he always felt stronger with her beside him and he was NOT going to take any risks with Morgana's life.

"She's here to search for _me_ because I didn't meet her," she countered, "She'll go through anyone to do it, I need to stop her."

He sighed, getting up with her and following her out. They made it to the hall where Uther's chambers lay, seeing someone in a red cloak walking down it, just like the vision, and Merlin felt his chest loosen realizing it hadn't been Morgana in the vision, but Morgause!

"Morgause!" Morgana called, motioning for Merlin to stay back around the corner as she stepped around it to face the woman.

"Sister," she turned, rushing towards her, concern in her eyes, especially when Morgana took a step back and held up a hand as a sign for her to not come any closer, "I waited for you. What happened? Something is wrong."

"Yes," Morgana nodded, swallowing as she steeled herself, "I cannot do this any longer."

"Do what?" Morgause frowned.

"Be your pawn, help your plots," she spat, "I do not wish the same things as you."

"You wish Uther off the throne!" Morgause shouted, "The same as I! It is what we have _both_ been working towards and..."

"I said that so you'd let me go!" Morgana cut in, "So you'd let me come _home_."

"I _am_ your home," she glared, "You are my _sister_!"

"But you are not mine," Morgana narrowed her eyes as well, "A sister would not make me do this. I do not wish Uther dead as you do, and I will _not_ let you harm him."

"You would choose HIM over me?" Morgause seemed near spitting fire, "The man who would have you _burned_ in a heartbeat if he learned the truth."

"He would never get the chance," Morgana shook her head, "My family would protect me."

"I _am_ your family!"

"No!" Morgana snapped, pulling the dagger Arthur had given her out of its sheath, "You are my enemy."

"So be it then," Morgause sneered.

And, before Morgana could even react, before even MERLIN could react, Morgana was sent flying down the hall, crashing head-first into a wall just as Marayna turned the corner at the end of the hall, closer to Uther's chambers than Merlin was, "Morgana!" she gasped, running to her side.

"Gana!" Merlin joined her before glaring at Morgause, the fire of the torches blazing behind him, "Guards!"

Morgause glared and let out a frustrated screech but disappeared as the guards arrived, rushing at her. Uther ran out of his chambers at the commotion, his eyes wide, obviously startled awake, yet another aspect of their vision, "What is the meaning of this!?"

"Morgause was trying to kill you," Marayna covered.

"Morgana caught her," Merlin added quietly.

And then he noticed Morgana lying helplessly on the ground, "Morgana!" he ran to her side as well, "Fetch Gaius now!" he ordered the guards, scooping her into his arms and cradling her to him just as he had done to Arthur during the Questing Beast attack.

~8~

"I need water and bandages!" Gaius cried as Uther set Morgana down on a cot in the physician's chambers, Arthur and Gwen rushing in after Merlin and Marayna.

"I'll get the water!" Gwen ran off.

"I've got the bandages," Marayna nodded.

"And yarrow," Gaius turned to Merlin, knowing he needed to be distracted, with Uther there, he couldn't even_ touch_ Morgana and that had to be killing the poor boy, "We need to stop the bleeding," he told Merlin seriously, the boy swallowing hard, nodding and getting it, "She's having problems breathing."

"Dianthus?" Merlin called, hearing that.

"Yes, and a preparation of pulmonaria er, lungwort. Quarter of an ounce, ground fine, and mixed with violet."

"How could this have happened?" Arthur demanded.

"Arthur, Sire," Gaius cut in gently, seeing Arthur and Uther hovering by the girl, "I need room here."

"Yes," Uther breathed, forcing himself to step away, "Of course."

"Anything you need, just tell us," Arthur nodded, leading his father out, knowing that the man needed his support to keep calm as Gaius tended to the man's ward.

As soon as the door was shut, Merlin was at Morgana's side, holding her hand as Marayna finished the mixture for him.

~8~

"Will she be alright?" Gwen asked as they watched Gaius sew Morgana's head where there was a deep cut on the side of it, Merlin not even looking at the wound as he focused on Morgana's closed eyes, keeping tight hold of her hand.

"We've done the best we can," Gaius sighed, "I can heal her skin, Gwen, but the skull...the cranium is broken. She's bleeding inside."

"And we're not the healers," Marayna rubbed her head.

Merlin just kissed Morgana's hand, "She'll be alright," he murmured, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself than anything, "She has to be."

"It wasn't Morgana," Marayna realized, "The vision, it was of Morgause..."

"You stopped her killing Uther," Gaius nodded.

"_Morgana_ did."

"This wasn't supposed to happen though," Merlin sniffed, tears in his eyes as he started to cry softly, having only ever felt this scared before when his sister had been lying on the same cot after being poisoned.

Marayna and Gwen moved to his side, comforting him.

~8~

Arthur paused as he entered his chambers, seeing Marayna tidying everything she could get her hands on, something, he realized, that she did when she was terribly, terribly worried, which made him worried as...she rarely ever was THAT worried. For her to be so affected...he didn't even have to ask how Morgana was, what Gaius said, her actions spoke volumes.

He moved to his armor, polished on a table, "Sword belt," he muttered, searching through it, "Where's my sword belt?"

Marayna silently moved to the cupboard and opened it, pulling it out.

"What the hell's it doing over there?" he nearly snapped before catching himself.

"It's a _belt_, isn't ?" she countered, handing it to him, watching as he tried to untangle it, "Hold on, give it to me," she reached out and took it from him, placing a hand over his to still his frustrated efforts, "Here," she untwisted it and put it around him herself, only to keep her arms around him the second she was able, hugging him tightly, "I'm sorry about Morgana."

Arthur let out a deep sigh and put his arms around her too, needing this more than he realized, "After all we went through to rescue her, for her to survive all that..."

"I know," she nodded, squeezing him.

"To lose her now, like this..." he sniffled, tears in his eyes as he clung to her, "I've grown up with her, she's like a sister to me. I'd sacrifice my place on the throne for her to see another sunrise."

"I know," she hushed him gently, holding him as he started to cry.

~8~

Merlin sat with his back to the door of his room, having been ushered there by Gaius when it was discovered Uther was on his way to check on Morgana. It wouldn't do for a servant to be seen sleeping with his head on Morgana's cot, holding her hand. He hated to leave her but...if...no, _when_ she woke up, he wanted to have his head still on his shoulders to kiss her with.

"So beautiful," Uther was saying, Merlin able to hear the quiet discussion between Uther and Gaius through the door.

"Yes, sire," Gaius replied.

"I cannot watch her die, Gaius."

"I wish there was something I could do."

"No, you don't understand. I _cannot_ lose her. No matter what happens, she cannot die."

"I will do everything I can, Sire."

"No, Gaius. Whatever it takes. _Whatever_, I don't care. You _must_ save her."

"If I knew a way..."

"You're not understanding me, Gaius," Uther cut in with a hard note in his voice, "Cure her. I don't care what remedy you use. In all these books there must be _something_," Uther was silent a moment, "Something in the Old Religion?"

Gaius gasped, "Are you suggesting..."

"Sorcery, yes."

Merlin scoffed, of course he'd choose that _now_. And then he'd murder the person who helped her for breaking the laws.

"I know she's dear to you, sire, but surely you're not going to risk everything for Morgana?" Gaius had to ask.

"Gaius, you don't understand. There's...there's something you should know. Something I've told no one. Morgana...she is my daughter..."

Merlin looked up at that, THAT he didn't know.

"It was while Gorlois was away," Uther began to explain, "He was fighting on the northern plains and he'd left his sister, Vivien, alone and frightened for him. I swore to him I would look out for her and...we grew fond of each other..."

"I understand, Sire," Gaius gut in delicately.

"No, you don't," Uther nearly snapped, "I...I married her, Gaius," Merlin's eyes widened at that, he'd had NO idea that Uther had married anyone before Ygraine, "I was young and foolish and...we consu..."

"Uther I don't believe I need to know, if..."

"Gorlois discovered us," Uther hastily covered that slip up, "He was furious and...he forced my hand, forced our marriage annulled, but...Vivien was with child."

"Morgana," Gaius realized.

"Yes," Uther breathed, "Gorlois refused to let me see her, claimed he would tell the world, tell any who would listen that I had forced myself upon his sister and...I couldn't bear the thought of my daughter being seen as a bastard," Merlin swallowed at that, understanding the stigma of that all too well, "So I stayed away. When Vivien died soon after Morgana was born, Gorlois took her in, raised her with Ygraine as their own. She..." Merlin closed his eyes, imagining Uther looking down at Morgana at that, "She doesn't know Gaius, she knows nothing other than Gorlois as her father..."

"Sire..." Gaius breathed.

"I've said enough," Uther suddenly sounded more firm once more, "The people must never know who Morgana really is, for Arthur's sake."

"I assure you, sire, your secret is safe with me."

Merlin waited till he heard a door close before he got up and resumed his place at Morgana's side, "It explains everything," he murmured as he looked at the girl lying there FAR too pale, just like Arthur had been only days ago, he understood his sister's fear all too well, "No wonder he spent a year looking for her."

"If she is his daughter," Gaius smiled a little, "She will fight on with everything she has."

Merlin had to smile at that too, "For once the Pendragon stubbornness is a blessing."

~8~

Later that night, Marayna entered Uther's chambers, a small potion bottle in hand, having been sent there by Gaius, to see Uther staring out the window, "Sire. I have a potion from uncle, he said it'll help you sleep," she placed it on the desk and turned to go.

"You are Gaius's girl," Uther called, making her pause.

"His niece yes," she glanced back at him.

"You're like a daughter to him," Uther glanced at her, "And the boy...a son."

She smiled, knowing where Uther's mind had gone, Merlin had told her everything about what Uther revealed, "We like to think so."

"I see the way he cares for you and your brother. You feel your child's every joy, and their pain. You watch their failings and you see your own. All you want is for their happiness, for them to escape the sufferings of life. Wh...why has this happened? I woul...I would do anything. Anyth..." he broke down in tears as Marayna sighed sympathetically, moving beside him to awkwardly pat his shoulder, not daring to actually hug the man, yet knowing he'd threaten to have her head if she so much as spoke of the pat, but also knowing that, for every act of kindness, one would be repaid.

~8~

"He's been at it for hours," Gwen told the siblings, concerned for Arthur as he stood in the rain, slashing at wooden dummies with his sword, the three of them able to see him through the windows of the physician's quarters. Marayna had wanted to go out there and stop him but he seemed far too focused and she didn't want to risk getting accidently beheaded.

"Gaius?" Merlin asked as Gaius pulled back from examining Morgana.

"Her breath is leaving her," he said solemnly, "She'll be gone by morning."

Gwen gasped, tears in her eyes as Merlin bowed his head.

"We'll see about that," Marayna stood.

"Where are you going?" Gaius called.

"I'm the High Priestess of the Old Religion," she held out her hands as she walked backwards, "I may not be a Dragonlord but I assume that overgrown lizard will at least come if a friend calls him."

She really had to hope he would, because she didn't know what else she could do to help her brother and Morgana.

~8~

Marayna waited in a clearing in the woods, the same one that the Dragon had first brought them too after saving them from the serkets, determined to get _something_ out of the bloody lizard, knowing her brother's happiness was on the line, "You summoned me, my Queen?" the beast bowed to her as it landed, "And to what do I owe the pleasure this time?"

"Merlin and I got tricked into the Crystal Cave. We thought we saw Morgana try to kill Uther."

"Did you?" he asked, seemingly genuinely surprised at that, especially with the Blood Oath Morgana had taken.

"It wasn't her, it was Morgause," she explained, "Morgana stopped her and now she's dying. Please is there anything you can tell me that might help her? She is Uther's daughter and..."

"I know," he cut in.

She frowned, glaring at him, "Why didn't you tell us that!? It would have been helpful to know!"

"It was too dangerous," he remarked, "To tell her when her hatred and fear of Uther was so great...would have made her equally as hateful and fearful, she is ready to bear that burden now where she wasn't before. Right now, it will make no difference to her, Gorlois is the father who reared her, who taught her, she is HIS daughter in every way that counts."

"Please," Marayna shook her head, getting back to point, "If she dies, Albion won't happen. Merlin will crumble without her and I cannot face that future without my brother."

The Dragon sighed, "Then I have but little choice to help do I?" he took a breath and breathed on her, sharing his magic, his knowledge of a spell that could help save Morgana, before taking off as she ran back to Camelot.

~8~

"I've got it!" Marayna cried, bursting into the room.

"You do?" Merlin looked at her with hope in his eyes.

She nodded, reaching to take his hand as she knelt across from him, placing her other hand on Morgana's forehead, Merlin mirroring her, "Ic þe þurhhæle þin licsare mid þam sundorcræftas þære ealdaþ æ," she breathed, though both their eyes flashed as Morgana took a deep breath and kept breathing evenly, her skin pinkening again as the wound seemed to shrink, not noticeably but enough to show it getting better.

Merlin beamed and nearly threw himself over Morgana to hug his sister tightly, laughing even as he cried in joy and relief, Marayna just so happy he was smiling again.

~8~

Morgana smiled widely as Merlin and Marayna snuck into her chambers the next morning, having been moved there a short while after she'd woken up for comfort. Gwen was at her bedside, tending to her, Uther having tried to see her earlier but she'd feigned sleep, wanting Merlin to be the first she got to truly see and...not quite sure how to face Uther till she spoke with the others. They were a bit concerned Morgause might try to attack Uther again but...with the prior attack and the guards aware it was a sorceress at work, things were stricter, everyone more aware and not even Morgause would risk an attack in the same manner as before.

"Merlin!" she breathed, hugging him tightly as he moved beside her, "Rayna," she reached out to take the woman's hand, squeezing it, "Thank you. I know you healed me, I..." she took a breath, "I heard _everything_ when I was there."

"So you know Uther..." Merlin began.

"Is my father," she nodded, not quite sure how she felt about that.

Merlin smiled, kissing her head, in the opposite side of her still healing and tender wound, "Always knew I'd be marrying a princess when I met you."

Morgana blushed at that, to hear that Merlin had imagined marrying her the moment he saw her, feeling warm at the thought.

"That's right," Gwen realized with a shock, recalling what Morgana had told her when she'd been left alone with the woman, able to see something was wrong with her Lady, "You're of royal blood Morgana. If Uther were to die, you would have a legitimate claim to the throne. Uther WAS married at the time you were conceived and you're older than Arthur..."

"I don't want the throne," Morgana shook her head, the idea of ruling Camelot the FARTHEST thing from her mind. She was still of the mindset of running away with Merlin into the woods and the outer villages if ever his magic was discovered. Yes, she could change the laws if she were Queen, but people would think it because she WAS magical and...there was too much in they way. Besides, lineage was more favored by the males, the male heirs were expected to be kings before the women and, in just this one case, she was more than happy for it.

"Neither do I," Marayna admitted wryly.

Morgana smiled though as she looked at them, "One thing that I _do_ accept is that...Uther is my father," she stated it like the fact it was, "Morgause is my sister," she nodded, "And, if she wanted loyalty from me for that bond, she must expect loyalty from me for him as well. And...Uther _has_ helped me more than her, been there longer, he gave me life and the life I have, I owe him everything," she took a breath, "I will never betray him like that," she looked at the three of them as well, "I will never betray my family," before focusing on Merlin, "I will never betray my heart."

A/N: Aww Morgana chose Camelot/Uther/Merlin :') That's a bit of a twist, now Morgause knows where her true loyalty lies }:) I sort of felt that, without the hatred of Uther and having something like Merlin to ground her, Morgana would have felt guilty for the mandrake and not wanted to be queen :) I know there was more to the episode than this, a second attempt on Uther, but with it not being Morgana, I don't think Morgause would be able to do it ;)

Little bit of a tweak to the story of Morgana's parentage, I hope it's ok/makes sense. I tried to keep all the characters involved in both the show and legend still involved in some way. I also feel like with Morgana being older than Arthur, it means Uther was younger at the time and I sort of wanted to give him a little romantic fling sort of thing, a little whirlwind marriage that didn't quite work :)

Some notes on reviews...

I can say that Arthur and Merlin will have the staff-battle in this series yup ;) But I won't say when :)


	9. Home, Sweet Home

Home, Sweet Home

Merlin was worried, Morgana was worried, Gwen was worried…even Gaius was! It seemed like the only people who weren't were Arthur (who couldn't really count as he had no idea what was going on with Morgause and Morgana's falling out) and Marayna, who was actually hoping the sorceress would just try to attack Camelot. She had been fuming (after Morgana was well again of course) that she'd missed the opportunity to face down Morgause in a 'duel of destiny' or some other such rubbish title, essentially she'd been hoping to prove to the woman just who the true High Priestess was and had missed the chance. So while all others 'in the know' were afraid of what Morgause would do in revenge not just against Morgana but Camelot and the men who she likely felt took her sister from her, Marayna was looking forward to it.

But still, she could tell that the others were truly frightened and worried. She knew her brother would die before he saw Morgana hurt like that again. It had truly shocked them all that Morgause had attacked Morgana the way she had. The woman had called off immortal knights on the verge of her victory against Camelot just to save the girl and then she'd attacked her outright, thrown her into a wall. It was like a firm slap in the face to realize just how deeply the hatred festered in the woman that she'd turn on Morgana just because she refused to help her take down Camelot. They could admit that they were hoping Morgana would be right when she had claimed Morgause wouldn't hurt her because they were sisters…but they were wrong, SO wrong. And that made the future all the more deadly that they truly didn't know how far Morgause would go now.

They'd lost so much of an advantage, NOT that the blamed Morgana at all. All of them wanted her free of Morgause and they were more relieved about that finally happening than anything. But they'd lost a spy in Morgause's camp, they'd lost a whisper in the woman's ear, they'd lost a sort of ace in the hole of (if it ever came to it) playing off Morgause's care for Morgana similar to when the Fires had sparked again. They wouldn't ever put Morgana in a position where they had to poison her again, but what Morgause didn't know might not hurt them. They just had to hope that nothing too difficult or hard to face would come from this.

It did worry them though, it worried them more for Morgana, that Morgause might try to target her now instead of Camelot in her anger, and that worried Merlin and everyone else.

Marayna looked over as she knelt on the ground, picking some mushrooms off of the base of a tree, putting it in the basket she'd brought with her to see her brother sitting on a log, twirling a small flower sadly in his hands, looking at it and glancing back at the castle. She didn't even have to read his mind to know he was worrying about Morgana, the flower was a dead giveaway, it was the same color as Morgana's eyes.

"Merlin," she called, getting up and moving beside him, "I think we should leave…"

"What?!" he turned to her so sharply he nearly fell off the log, his eyes wide, his mouth falling open, "Aya how could you say that!? We can't just abandon Camelot, not now that it's even more vulnerable to Morgause. And Morgana! She's going to get hell from Morgause about what she's done and…"

Marayna rolled her eyes and put her hand on Merlin's mouth, "If you'd let me finish?" she gave him a look. He blinked, realizing he HAD cut her off and nodded, though she didn't take her hand off his mouth, "I was going to say, I think we should leave _with_ Morgana," she explained, "Not permanently, Uther would hunt us down if we kidnapped her daughter," she nudged him, "People might think she ran off in the middle of the night to marry you in a scandalous ceremony."

"Ha ha Aya," he muttered, pulling her hand off his mouth, "Funny."

She laughed, "I just meant, perhaps we could take her away for a time, just…a few days, go somewhere peaceful. I think it would help her to get out of the castle. Morgause attacked her there and you told me about how tense she gets in the halls…"

And she did. Merlin had noticed that whenever Morgana stepped out of her room, was anywhere other than another room or outside the castle, she grew tense and quiet, like she was listening for some sort of attack. She tensed when they turned corners, as though expecting someone to be waiting on the other side to hurt her. They knew it was a result of Morgause's attack. Despite Morgana's bravado, they knew it had shaken her too that Morgause had actually attacked her. She moved about like she was just waiting for the sneak attack to come at her and that wasn't any way to live. She tried to play it off, tried to act like she wasn't doing that, but they all knew…she was scared. The halls were where it happened and the halls worried her that it would happen there again.

"Getting out of the castle might be good for her," she added, moving to link her arm with her brother's leaning in to continue to speak to him, "Maybe we could take her to Ealdor. It's small, quiet, and I know mum will be DYING to meet your betrothed…if just to smack you for not telling her."

"She's already met Morgana," he reminded her.

"Yeah, but not as the woman you were gonna marry."

"I think she knew I'd marry her someday though."

"Well she doesn't know you actually ASKED does she?" she countered, sticking her tongue out at him, "She needs to get to know Morgana, her future daughter-in-law, not Morgana, Ward of King Uther."

Merlin let out a small, thoughtful sigh and considered that, "She did love Ealdor last time we were there," he mused, "And the fresh air, the friendly faces, the…not castle, would lift her spirits…"

"That and the embarrassing stories I fully plan to ask mum to tell her about you as a child should help too," she smirked.

"Don't you dare," he pointed a warning finger at her, though he was smiling too, "Or I'll have her tell Arthur equally embarrassing stories."

"Do your worst," she challenged.

"Deal," he reached out and shook her hand, the two of them looking at each other seriously…before starting to laugh. No, they'd never do that. If their mother just happened to get on a tangent about their past embarrassments well, that was one thing, but they'd never, in good conscience, goad her into doing that. Of course not. No…

Ok, they both completely were.

"Good," she nodded, standing and brushing off her hands, "I was hoping you'd agree."

"And why's that?" Merlin stood as well, moving to take the basket to carry, it was the least he could do seeing as how he hadn't helped her gather any of the mushrooms himself.

She just smiled, "There's someone in Ealdor I think Morgana would be thrilled to see again."

Merlin gave her a curious look, but she merely winked at him and continued on, leaving him confused as he followed after her.

~8~

"You're not serious," Arthur remarked as he gave Marayna a look as she stood before him in his chambers, sitting on top of his desk and mending one of his shirts as he sat at the desk, leaning on one end with her on the other, looking up at her.

"I'm very serious actually," she countered easily, "I think it would be good for her."

"To take Morgana out of the castle and into the open where Morgause can try to attack her again without any guards around to protect her?" Arthur scoffed, "In what world is that a good thing?"

Marayna rolled her eyes, "I'd think Morgause would be more keen to attack Camelot than one person," she remarked.

As far as Uther and Arthur knew, Morgana had caught Morgause on the woman's way to kill the king and managed to stop her. Uther was frantic that Morgause, being the evil, single-minded sorceress she was, would try to take revenge on Morgana for thwarting her plans and had all but confined her to the castle as much as he could. Arthur seemed to be of the same idea that if Morgana left the castle she'd be a sitting duck.

"She sent Morgana into a wall!"

"Which proves she's in just as much danger here, IN the castle, where she WAS attacked, as outside the walls," she pointed out, "Doesn't it?"

Arthur was silent at that, she DID have a point about that. Morgana had been attacked within Camelot's walls and his father always said, when it came to sorcery, walls and doors were nothing, they just slowed them down. He was of the belief it was his father's way of trying to slow them down enough for the two of them to be alerted early enough to get to her and help her in time.

"If you're that worried about her, come with us," Marayna offered.

"Us?" Arthur blinked at her, "What, you're going too?"

She paused in her sewing to give him a look, "Merlin wants to take her to see our mother…and you think I WON'T go to visit too?"

That had been the cover story for Arthur, they knew they needed the prince to vouch for them, for the journey, to get Uther to allow it. After the last time Morgana had left and given a note…and the Druids had nearly been murdered…they realized they should probably TELL the King where they were going instead of assume he'd actually look around for a note instead of assume sorcerers had invaded his castle. It was all a ploy though, a trick really, that she and Morgana had thought up after they'd brought up the idea to her earlier. Morgana had been…quite keen to see the plan happen as soon as possible. She was going more than a bit stircrazy in the castle, with Uther watching her every move and fretting over her. It was made even worse by how the king had placed more guards near her room than normal, which made it more difficult for Merlin to visit her.

They'd told Arthur that Merlin wanted to steal Morgana away for a spell, take her to Ealdor. It was largely the same story, to get her out of the castle, fresh air and whatnot, a calmer setting, but also…he wanted to introduce his mother to his betrothed. Arthur…couldn't argue with that desire. There were times he…wished that he could actually introduce Marayna to his mother as the girl he would marry. But…he couldn't ask her, and he couldn't show her to his mother. He liked to think that tiny parts of what Ygraine's 'ghost' had said were true, little snippets that were really his mother and not Morgause using her image, parts where she was proud of him and where she approved of Marayna. He really did like to think that she was watching over him, had seen her, and that she liked the girl he'd chosen. But still, he could understand the desire to show the woman he loved off to his parents. He understood even more after learning that their father had died just after Morgana had been taken by Morgause. Their father hadn't gotten to meet Morgana, Merlin clearly didn't want to take the risk with their mother.

He wasn't quite sure how he felt about Morgana leaving the castle even then, but he could admit…a trip with Marayna, away from the prying eyes of all the nobles and surrounded by people who knew about their relationship would be nice…

"I…suppose it isn't a terrible idea," Arthur conceded, "I would insist on being there for protection anyway."

"So you're coming then?" Marayna gave him a knowing look.

"If I must," he gave a mock long-suffering sigh though there was a twinkle in his eyes as he did so.

"Oh you must," she nodded, "You really must must."

"Must must?" he laughed and she shrugged, "And why must I?"

She smirked, "Because the last time I was gone for a few days you were a complete and utter wreck?" she suggested, this time SHE laughed when she saw him flushing at that, "Admit it, you'd miss me too much after only a few hours."

"I miss you after a few seconds," he countered, suddenly more serious than he had been, looking up at her, into her eyes so she'd know he was telling the truth, "I miss you so much it feels like I can't breathe at times," though those were more when she was gone for excessive periods or when he knew she was trapped and in danger.

She smiled lightly at that, "I'm glad you're coming," she murmured, reaching out to touch his cheek, smiling more as he leaned into her touch, "I'd miss you too."

~8~

Uther had, of course, been nearly impossible to convince to allow his children (though only one of them was aware of the relation) to go to Ealdor, in CENRED's kingdom, alone, with just three servants accompanying them and no guards with only three horses. Even if the king assumed that they were going to be riding with Merlin and his sister on one horse and Morgana and Arthur on another (for it would not do for a noblewoman to ride with a servant) and Gwen on the last, that was not how it would eventually come to happen…though Gwen DID end up with her own horse. His children didn't seem to hold servants in the same regard as their father did.

Still, he had railed against it, argued, shouted, threatened to throw them in the dungeon, which was admittedly a bit extreme though Merlin, of all people, seemed to be the only one who understood the King's reaction. He had been in the room when Uther had gone off about how Morgana was his daughter. He had been the only one of the five of them to hear the genuine terror in the man's voice, the desperation to save her so great that he'd been willing to turn to magic to do it. He understood that the thought of Morgana ending up in danger because of them was not a pleasant one to the king, but equally it was just as heartbreaking to them too.

But Arthur and Morgana had been able to wear the man down a little. They'd gotten him to agree to the visit but only if guards accompanied them to the border of Cenred's kingdom and did not enter, returning in only three days to escort them back. It wasn't nearly as long as the siblings wanted, but it was something at least. The guards, in a thoughtful suggestion on Arthur's part, were expected to dress in civilian clothing as were Arthur and Morgana, wearing their simplest outfits so as not to appear royal or worth robbing, there were still quite a few bandits out there. Uther had also made them swear that Arthur would be with Morgana the entire time…to which Marayna had secretly promised the woman in her mind that she would find plenty of ways to distract Arthur for her.

And there they were, very near Ealdor already, the edge of the village visible to them. They were quite glad that they'd managed to lose the guards earlier. When…when Balinor had died, Marayna had asked Gaius about every story that the man knew of him, wanting to know more about the man. The last time that Gaius knew of guards entering Ealdor was when they'd been dispatched after Balinor. To see a group of horses and knights racing for the village…well, they didn't want to upset their mother anymore than they might during this trip.

Marayna laughed as they came to a stop in the middle of the small village, getting off her horse, Arthur rolling his eyes as she hopped off first, he'd wanted to help her down, not that she needed help. But then again, neither did Morgana and she still let Merlin put his hands on her waist to help her off the horse and held her close a moment. They greeted the villagers that were nearby, all of them still thanking Arthur for his help with Kanen, no bandits having come to Ealdor again after that for which they were all grateful.

"Come on," Marayna reached out and took Morgana's hand, "There's someone here that wants to see you again."

Merlin laughed as they went after her, "Mum's excited to see ALL of us Aya," he remarked.

"Oh, I know," she grinned, "I wasn't talking about mum though."

"Then who?" Arthur frowned, trying to think of some sort of villager that Morgana might have talked to years ago that was excited to see her, when a shout cut him off.

"Morgana!" a loud cheer went up moments before Morgana was nearly tackled to the ground, only Merlin being right behind her to catch her made the boy pause and blush at his actions, "Sorry."

Morgana blinked and stared at the boy before her, no…the young man, for that's what he was now, still very young likely barely a teenager, but she could recognize those blue eyes anywhere, "Mordred?" she whispered, staring at him in awe.

She hadn't seen the boy in ages and there he was, in Ealdor!

"Mum took him in," Marayna explained.

"But how did she know to take him in?" Gwen frowned, "Wouldn't she wonder if he had family?"

"That's more my fault," she admitted and Merlin looked at her a mix of curiosity, relief, and confusion at it.

"Aya what did you do?" Merlin looked at her with wide eyes.

She shrugged, "When I went to visit mum that week last year," she began, "I didn't go to see her alone, I brought Mordred with me."

"Why?" Arthur frowned, looking between her and the boy.

"He was left alone, in the woods, after an attack Arthur," she gave him a look like he was being an idiot, "And that was after nearly being used because he was a Druid," she gave him a warning look, as though daring him to make one single remark about that, about the boy possibly having magic. Not ALL Druids possessed magic, some just followed their lifestyle or were wed to Druids that did have magic, and Mordred hadn't done magic in front of Arthur as far as they knew, "Mum was all alone without us and...I couldn't bring him to Camelot."

Arthur fell silent at that, reminding himself they WERE in Cenred's kingdom now, the man DID allow magic (one of the biggest causes of strife between the kingdoms) and he had no right to report the boy to his father when it was in another kingdom's jurisdiction. And...he had to admit, looking at the boy now, beaming at them, his eyes wide in delight, clutching Morgana's hand, and seeming so much...happier...he couldn't imagine the boy ever being corrupt by his magic.

Following that thought Marayna shot a wink at her brother and Morgana, her expression readable to Gwen even though she couldn't hear the message Marayna was sending the two in their heads, '_And who else would know how to raise a magical child better than mum?_'

Merlin had to laugh at that, reaching out to ruffle Mordred's hair as the boy hugged Morgana once more, the woman kneeling down to give him a proper hug.

~8~

Marayna smiled as she stood in her home with her mother, watching Mordred excitedly chatting with Morgana and Gwen, Merlin and Arthur off somewhere else in the village, talking to the other men, seeing how they were doing since Kanen. Her mother, she knew, was beaming at Morgana, having hugged the woman and wept just the night before when Merlin had told her he'd proposed to the woman. Their mother had known, of course, that he would, and was so touched he'd brought the girl home properly to tell him, she'd just been thrilled and hadn't stopped smiling at the noblewoman. SHE, however, was more focused on the boy she saw before her was…SO different than the quiet, controlled boy she remembered him to be when she first brought him to Ealdor. He'd been silent then, preferring only to speak to her in her mind, especially around others and she realized it was a defense mechanism. The poor boy seemed to think that if he so much as talked, others would know he was a Druid and turn against him, such was the curse of growing up under Uther. She'd merely reminded him that they were in Cenred's kingdom now, that the man, while he didn't appreciate it, allowed magic.

She was fairly sure he only did it to spite Uther for Cenred seemed the type to want constant war with someone no matter what.

Mordred had still been hesitant to speak…till he realized that Hunith was her mother, was the mother of Emrys and Reesa and he'd been a bit awed by that. She'd never seen her mother blush as when she saw the boy look at her like that, though she knew it was more a modest blush. Their mother, much like them, didn't count herself as any more special than anyone else. Mordred had been stunned at that. There were quite a few Druids, Alvarr included, who believed THEY were superior to non-magic users and there she was, the mother of the two most powerful ones, and she was as humble as anything.

She'd stood to the side when her mother had asked to speak to Mordred alone, but she could gather from their expressions, from her mother's soothing actions, and how Mordred had teared up what was said. She'd bet her magic that her mother had told the boy that she understood his fear of being caught with magic, commenting how he'd grown up with others who possessed it though, safe with them, whereas her own children had been constantly living in fear their entire life. But, she reminded him, her children had something others didn't.

Her.

A mother who would fight to protect them to the day she died, and she was offering that to Mordred as well. She opened up her home to him, wanting to give him a stable one. She'd remarked that, while he would have to hide his magic more in Ealdor than in a Druid camp, he'd be able to be himself as much as that allowed. He wouldn't be expected to be this great tool, this amazing magic-user. He wouldn't be used to sneak into castles or to get to others through a relationship he had with them. He wouldn't be forced to do anything he didn't want to do. He could just…live, in a little house, with a mother, and other children his age, and grow up as normally and without burden like that as possible.

Yes, it would be dangerous to try and hide his magic, but Ealdor always had a vague idea that Merlin and Marayna were more special than they let on. No one but Will had ever truly found out, but they had their guesses. Mordred would be nothing new and nothing for them to fear. He could live there, with her, if he wanted, she opened her home and arms to the boy if ever he wanted a stable and loving place to live.

The look Mordred had given her for that was full of such tears and gratitude that Marayna could feel the thanks from across the room when Mordred jumped at her mother and hugged her, starting to cry as she soothed him in the way only a mother could. She'd been about to leave after that, but Mordred and her mother had asked her to stay a few days to help Mordred adjust, to show him around Ealdor, introduce him to the nicer people, the more…open-minded children. She had, of course, and when she'd left Mordred had been just a little more vocal than when they arrived, and he'd hugged her, sad to see her go.

So right now, she was SO pleased to see him smiling and laughing and talking, it was so different that she almost didn't recognize him as the same boy. It wasn't even that he was wearing a peasant's clothing, or that he was not in his green Druid cloak, but that he was just…happy. And she knew he was only that way because he felt safe with their mother, and why wouldn't he? The mother of Emrys and Reesa was watching out for him, providing for him, protecting him. According to her mother, Mordred loved to help her in the field and help other villagers dealing with their animals. He loved growing things, seeing things living right in front of him, and animals loved him, though they felt that might just be a bit of his magic peeking out, the animals had always loved her and Merlin too.

"How is he?" she looked at her mother, just wanting more confirmation.

"Blossoming," Hunith smiled, watching as a small group of children around Mordred's age ran over to join him, bowing and curtseying at Morgana before they poked and nudged Mordred to join him. Marayna had to smile at that, he had friends now, it seemed that, with her and Merlin helping stop Kanen, that the village was a little more thankful and grateful and kind to Mordred than they were to her and Merlin growing up, for which she was thankful.

"He's doing well then?"

"More than well," Hunith laughed, "He's got such energy, he gives me quite the test to keep up with him. But yes, he is, he's getting stronger and bolder and more compassionate every day."

"Good," Marayna smiled, she could admit she also brought Mordred here for the same reason Merlin spent so much time with Morgana. She cared about the boy, there was just this…connection to him, this protectiveness that kept rearing its head whenever he was around her and she just wanted the best for him. She wanted to see him happy and protected and now he was. She knew Kilgharrah thought Mordred might one day kill Arthur and this…this was only partially her trying to prevent that.

She couldn't help but feel that a lot of that stemmed from Mordred growing up with Druids, with particular Druids that would hate Camelot and attack it, like Alvarr had, Druids who would use him and create that hate for Uther and Arthur. Here though, to be around her mother, to be safe for once and protected…she hoped he'd have a happy enough life where he wouldn't feel that way anymore. She really couldn't help but feel like being there, around good people, might help Mordred remember something important.

He owed Arthur his life.

And a debt like that couldn't be repaid with murder of the debt-holder. She hoped that one day Mordred would remember what Arthur had done for him and would refuse to kill the man, but…if not…she and Merlin would be there to stop him. NOT kill him, she didn't think her heart could take that, because she knew, no matter how near or far that future might be, she'd always see Mordred as the little Druid boy that had needed their help that fateful day in Camelot. She couldn't bear the thought of killing the boy then and she couldn't now, she doubted she ever would.

"He's happy," Hunith nodded, the two of them watching Mordred dart off with the children, playing some sort of game with them.

Marayna watched with a smile, pleased to hear that, and even more pleased to see Morgana smiling as well. She knew the woman felt the same connection to Mordred as she did, that she'd be more vulnerable around the boy too. And, it was also a little bit of that. Mordred, for his connection to the two of them, had the potential to lead Morgana down a dark path if he so chose that direction, though it seemed doubtful now. Morgana was betrothed to Merlin, had pledged her allegiance to Arthur, and she'd resisted Morgause…it didn't seem likely that she'd fall to darkness snow. And with Mordred this happy…she doubted he would either. And she wanted Morgana to see that, to see Mordred, a boy she cared for, as happy as he was, as full of life and light as he was.

And when Mordred hugged her a few days later as they were heading back to Camelot, Morgana feeling braver and more confident at seeing Mordred living with the danger to his life with confidence, her own confidence in her family's protection restored, she could practically feel the light in him, the goodness in his heart.

She just hoped it would stay like that, with the boy's heart so pure and his eyes so bright…and that Arthur wouldn't do anything to muck it all up.

A/N: Awww Mordred is thriving in Ealdor! ^-^ I wanted to show him actually being a kid instead of just seen as a Druid. Marayna's right though, who else would know how to raise a magical child but Hunith? ;) As for the future though, well...a lot can happen between now and Series 5 }:)

Some notes on reviews...

I definitely understand about the twists ;) I always try to make any twists I use understandable, believable, and fit in with the spirit of the show/movie/fandom :)

I chose not to make Morgana evil because I feel like the future that she dreamed (that the Dragon saw when Marayna was born) gave her more hope and gave her a sort of light in the dark, with Marayna there to help take the burden off of Merlin, he could focus on helping Morgana more than in the show so she wasn't as alone and she started to feel things for him as well. It was more to see how events could change with just small things that build up later :) I think Morgana would be a different person if different events happened, and I always felt if Merlin had bene there for her more and told her about his magic that she wouldn't have gone as far down the dark path in the show as she did :)

Lol, I was debating having Marayna hug Uther, but I think he'd probably have pulled an Arthur and been like 'what are you doing?' and then gone for a 'you dare touch your king, servant?' sort of mindframe :)


	10. The Changeling

The Changeling

Merlin and Marayna followed Arthur into the Main Hall after Uther, the king striding about, the servants rolling their eyes at the latest turn of events. Yet another noble was coming to visit Camelot, which meant excessive cleaning and tidying rooms and the servants all expected to be on their best behavior. Which was just wonderful for them as their natural clumsiness and verbal tendencies didn't exactly make for the best combination. But…they'd heard whispers (from Morgana) that the princess visiting in question was…worse than them. Truly, SO much worse than them. If Morgana was to be believed, and they did, then Princess Elena was sort of what Marayna thought she might be if she'd been raised on her own in a cave. Apparently the princess had little care for manners, ate like a pig, preferred to go barefoot, had no idea what a hairbrush was, and was even more clumsy than they were.

Marayna couldn't wait to meet her, if only so she could remind Arthur of her every time he got on their case.

"Arthur," Uther turned to his son, "It is an exciting day."

"The arrival of Lord Godwyn is always a cause for celebration," Arthur remarked diplomatically, clearly he was not looking forward to the Princess coming as well. They weren't quite sure why though, whether it was from a past memory of the woman or the fact that it was just another noble woman coming to the castle. Even Arthur could admit that when noblewoman came to Camelot things didn't go well for him. Sophia, Latrona, Vivien, Catrina, and then some, though the siblings had to be happy that the prince seemed to be slowly becoming aware of how patterns seemed to be forming.

"And Princess Elena," Uther reminded him.

"Yes," Arthur winced, though not for the reasons that the others thought.

He was sure they probably thought he was unhappy with the visit because he'd met Elena in the past, but…it was more that he just wanted to spend time with Marayna. They'd returned from Ealdor only the day before, he'd had to promise his father they'd be back in time for Elena's visit and…seeing her with her mother, seeing her and Merlin with Mordred, seeing Morgana and Merlin together…it hurt him to know that Merlin and Morgana were betrothed and yet he couldn't even ask Marayna to marry him. They'd talked, after she'd admitted to being barren, about other reasons she held for not wanting to wed him. He…could admit there were quite a few. Her status as a servant, as a peasant, as a foreigner, her being a bastard, it was like there was everything stacked against them being together.

Which was even more hurtful when he realized the same was stacked against Merlin and Morgana, save the barren part, and yet they were making it work. But Morgana wouldn't have the pressure of producing the next heir of Camelot on her. Marayna was…so focused on that, more than anything else. It both annoyed and touched him to see it though. Annoyed him as he could come up with a number of solutions (which she always shot down) but she never accepted any of them. And touched that she was so concerned for Camelot that she didn't want to 'lead it to ruin' as she'd explained to him she feared would happen without a legitimate heir.

To see Merlin and Morgana so happy and together…well, he had a plan. He was going to woo her. Well, he'd already done that, she loved him and that was the most amazing feeling ever. But…he wanted to woo her in a way where she'd agree to marry him. He would do it, he'd win her hand if it was the last thing he did. He was going to romance her to an inch of her sanity, do whatever he had to to prove himself to her, to prove that everything would be ok if they did every wed one day…likely after his father was off the throne. He would do anything he could to get her to agree to marry him, and he'd been determined to start the moment they returned to Camelot…but Elena's trip was in the way.

"I hear she's something of a beauty," Uther added.

THAT got through to Arthur as his head snapped over to look at his father, suddenly on the alert and equally as suspicious, "Really?" he asked, sounding unimpressed and cautious. It…wasn't like his father to speak of beauty unless he was referring to Morgana.

"Oh, yes," Uther nodded, seeming to be watching Arthur just as closely, "Beautiful, charming, witty…strategic."

"Strategic?" Arthur stiffened, a pit starting to form in his stomach, making his servants frown and glance at each other before they watched the small conversation, getting a little more concerned as it went on.

"I have always thought so," Uther nodded, "WE have always thought so, that is. Lord Godwyn and myself. That is…he finds _you_ strategic, not Princess Elena."

Arthur swallowed hard, really REALLY hoping that this wasn't heading where he thought it was, "He finds _me_ strategic?"

"Oh, yes."

"And beautiful?"

Before Uther could even speak, the doors to the hall opened and three people entered. They assumed the older, regal looking gentleman was Lord Godwyn, the blonde girl beside him…seeming to be walking painfully in her hoes, hunched a little, with her hair wild and her clothes rumpled, stumbling here and there…had to be Elena and…well, they weren't quite sure who the old, plump, haggard looking woman beside Elena was, possibly her maid?

Merlin looked at his sister in concern, by that point…he would have expected her to have snorted or something at the sight of the trio, with Godwyn looking so regal and prim while his daughter was just, well, a mess, and that he'd have to elbow her to get her to stop. But she was just standing there, hardly looking at the trio as her focus was on Arthur with a rather heartbroken expression on her face that made him frown. She was staring at Arthur, who was frowning at his father in confusion, with what seemed like almost tears in her eyes. There was a knowing sort of look in her eyes as well, like she'd worked out something terrible and…he wanted to know what it was, because it was hurting his sister and he wanted it to stop.

"Father, what are you trying to say?" Arthur hissed to his father, wanting to know before he was cornered with something.

'_Aya?_' Merlin called to his sister, reaching out to put a hand on her arm, looking at her intently, he was starting to get a little scared of how quiet she was, '_What is it?_'

"Lord Godwyn is a serious ally," Uther explained to Arthur as the trio approached, "The strength of such a match cannot be underestimated."

Arthur let out a breath, starting to shake his head, "_Please_ tell me you mean a jousting match."

But Uther shook his head and said the five words that changed everything, "I mean a love match."

"Love?!" Arthur nearly shouted at that, he…he KNEW his father had to be aware of something going on between him and Marayna, of course he knew! His father wasn't blind or dumb and, despite his best efforts, he knew he wasn't exactly subtle around the girl. He just…this couldn't be happening. He loved Marayna!

"Not love," Uther conceded, no one seeing his gaze flicker to Marayna a moment, noting that the girl had tears in her eyes but, much like when Arthur had declared his love for Sophia and wished to wed her, she was standing there with her head as high as she could manage, trying to appear strong, before he focused on his son, "Love has nothing to do with it, but the other bit. You know, a permanent union."

Arthur started to shake his head fiercely at that, "Marriage?!" no…anything but that.

Merlin's eyes widened and he looked at his sister in concern, only to see her close her eyes, letting out a breath, and took her hand, squeezing it in…he didn't know. Comfort wasn't possible, neither was reassurance, because Uther…was talking about Arthur's marriage…and it was to someone who wasn't her. Nothing, he knew, nothing he could say would help in this.

Uther was stubborn, he was strategic, and he was callous at times. He _would_ marry his son off to the best, most advantageous princess he could find, for the betterment and the future of Camelot. And he would make sure Arthur followed through, because it was just like him, wasn't it? Marayna had pegged the king within the short time she'd known him, the man cared about Camelot, about the Kingdom, but NOT about the people in it. He cared for his title, his power, and his legacy…and right now, with that in mind, he wasn't even seeing Arthur as his son, but just another tool to use in his quest to advance Camelot.

This marriage…it was going to happen.

And there wasn't anything they could do to stop it short of using magic to turn the princess into a frog…and then they'd be executed so it wouldn't even matter then anyway.

'_I'm so sorry,_' was all he could think to say, squeezing her hand, '_I'm so sorry Marayna._'

"I knew you would understand," Uther grinned though, patting Arthur on the back before stepping past him to greet the nobleman, "Godwyn!" he cheered, giving the man a warm, manly hug.

"Oh, it's been too long," Godwyn chuckled, clapping Uther on the shoulder as they parted.

"Princess Elena," Uther turned to her, "You are most welcome," he held out his arms to greet her as well…only for the girl to take a step forward and fall flat on her face.

Merlin looked at Uther as he rushed to help her up, frowning and shaking his head, this girl…was just like his sister only MUCH worse…and yet Uther had no problems marrying his son to HER merely because she was a princess? Well, Uther was wrong, his sister was a princess to him, and a Queen to the magical world.

"You two," Uther called to them as they stood there, "Fetch the bags and see to it that the rooms are prepared."

This time it was Marayna who elbowed Merlin to keep him quiet, sensing her brother's mounting anger at the king's actions, and nodded her head, "Yes, sire."

Arthur stiffened at that, at that word, that was the word she used of HIM. Even though she did use it for other nobles and his father at times, hearing her say 'sire' had snapped him out of his shock and he could see it now, the undeniable hurt and sorrow on her face as she turned to tug her brother out of the room, the siblings holding hands.

"Please excuse me," Arthur nodded to Godwyn, "My servants sometimes…need direction," he offered, knowing it was as good an excuse as he could come up with for a hasty departure, knowing his father would assume it meant how terrible his servants usually were and leave him alone to go after them. And he did, he nearly ran out of the room, would have run…if prince's ran like that after their servants. Instead he 'hastened' after them.

"Mara!" he called, hurrying down the steps to the carriage that Godwyn and Elena had taken there, seeing the servants gathering the bags up, "Mara…"

"Don't," she cut in, taking a breath and facing him, "You should…um…be getting to know your betrothed."

"She's not my betrothed," Arthur shook his head, reaching out to take her hands, "Mara, I am NOT marrying her," he told her, looking into her eyes, his heart breaking to see her looking like she didn't fully believe him, "My father wants me to, but I will NOT. I refuse to," he reached out and touched her cheek, not caring that there were others around the courtyard, not caring whether they were servants likely to spread word of this or nobles to find it scandalous or visiting guards to take offense, he didn't care about them at all, not right now, right now he needed Marayna to remember something, "It's you or no one," he repeated to her, lifting her chin so she looked into his eyes, wanting her to see that he was telling the truth, "I love YOU Mara, and I WILL marry you one day, you and no one else."

Marayna looked at him a long while, aware of the eyes watching them, but she didn't really care…her heart hurt too much and this time it wasn't the result of him being enchanted. She gave him a sad smile and merely…stepped past him to help her brother carry the bags off.

Arthur let out a breath, watching her go, his heartbreak reflected on his face.

She didn't believe him.

~8~

Merlin was quiet as he puttered about Arthur's chambers that night as he prepared for bed. It had been a…long day, made longer by the fact that Uther seemed to have assigned Marayna as Elena's maid, or an extra maid at least. That old woman, Grunhilda they'd learned her name was, was the princess's maid, had been ever since she was a baby, but it hadn't stopped Uther from assigning Marayna to the girl. Merlin was wondering if the king was secretly sadistic, he was starting to think so. What sort of man could stand there, unaffected, as people were burned at the stake, as _children_ were burned, and then later assign a girl to wait on the woman who was going to marry the man she loved?

A sadistic one.

Arthur had been trying to get Marayna alone all day to talk to her more privately about the entire situation, but Elena was…a trying mistress, not purposefully but…she was so awkward and clumsy that Marayna had twice as much work as she did with Arthur just trying to pick up after the girl. He hadn't seen her all day after she'd taken the bags away, and Merlin had been quieter than ever, it was disturbing him.

Which was why he'd asked Morgana to come to his chambers that night as well, just to talk…hoping it might get Merlin to prattle on about something as well, but Merlin was silent. He was actually starting to think that was the reason too, that Morgana was there, because she was betrothed to Merlin, which was just another reminder of what his father would have him do.

"I've always found it odd," Morgana was saying as she and Arthur sat before the fireplace, a small fire blazing as Merlin prepared the room for Arthur to sleep, "That Elena was so different than her father."

She was actually starting to realize something about herself as well. She…wasn't really anything like Gorlois, now that she truly thought about it. Oh she shared some similar traits with him, ones she'd picked up but…she was starting to see how similar she was to Uther, but in…a good way, she liked to think. They were both stubborn as all hell, would fight to the death for the people they loved, would hold their ground if it was something they believed in, could not be swayed when they felt they were right. They were determined and held tempers and…they had equally (if opposite) strong thoughts on magic. They could be deceptive when needed, but…they loved the person they loved completely and entirely with their whole being. Uther had never moved on past the death of Ygraine, nor, she felt, would she be able to if anything happened to Merlin.

Arthur just stared at the fire, "Maybe her mother was like that," he muttered.

"Her mother died when Elena was born," Morgana reminded him, "Like with you."

"Don't," Arthur shook his head, "I want to hear nothing of any similarities or things I might have in common with her."

Morgana gave the smallest of smiles at that, knowing that was Arthur's way of saying he didn't want to find anything in common, nothing that a friendship or fondness or anything could be built on, "She's quite like Rayna though."

Arthur scoffed, "Comparing her to Mara is like comparing roses to thistles."

"It's true though, when you think about it," Morgana began, careful with her words, all too aware that there were two men who would jump to Marayna's defense if they thought her insulting the woman, not that she would EVER do that. But…she felt like she had to bring this up, "They're both quite vulgar at times, crude, impolite…"

"Mara's just honest," Arthur defended, glaring at Morgana.

Morgana felt her smile widen, seeing that, but seeing him listening as well, "They're clumsy and they hate dressing up…"

"Mara's not THAT bad."

"They hate decorum and protocol and propriety…"

"Morgana, enough," Arthur cut in with a hard edge in his voice.

"I'm not saying that to insult her Arthur," Morgana reassured him, "I just…wanted you to see how similar they are. Because maybe that's the point."

"The point to what?" Arthur shook his head, glancing at her.

"The point to the marriage," she sighed, "Rayna IS very similar to Elena…maybe this is Uther's way of giving you someone like her to wed. As it stands right now Arthur," she sighed sadly, "Nobles like us can't marry servants," she cast a sad glance at Merlin, wishing it were anything but that, "Uther knows that, YOU know that…maybe this is his way of giving you a woman that's like Rayna, but of noble blood. In terms of similarities, Elena might just be the next best thing to…"

"She is NOT the next best thing," Arthur interrupted again, sending Morgana one of the fiercest glares she'd ever seen, "There is no next best thing. Mara is the ONLY best thing."

Morgana smiled at that, about to open her mouth when there was the sound of the door pushing open and Uther stepped into the room, casting a momentary glance at Merlin and Morgana, "A word. Alone," he added and Merlin quickly stepped out of the room with Morgana, leaving him and Arthur in private, "I need to talk to you about Elena. I realize that this is a delicate situation…"

"There's nothing delicate about it," Arthur stood, glaring, "I love Mara," he said, flat out, no dancing around it, no hinting, no delicacy as his father had given him none. And he didn't care what his father said about it or might say…he wanted everything laid out, "I love her and you are trying to force me to marry someone else."

"Lord Godwyn is not only a very good friend of mine, but a longstanding ally of Camelot," Uther tried to explain.

"I have nothing against Lord Godwyn. I've nothing against Elena. Except marriage. I cannot give myself to marriage when I have given my heart to another!"

"Heart has nothing to do with this," Uther shook his head, "Let your heart remain with the serving girl," Uther waved it off, "We are talking about your future, Arthur, we're not just talking about your happiness, but the safety and security of the whole of Camelot. You may one day be a husband, but more importantly, you will one day be King."

Arthur shook his head at his father, "But I have no feelings for her whatsoever."

"Then I would encourage you find some," Uther replied harshly, "Take back your heart then and carve out a space for Elena, for it is she that must reside there."

Uther turned to go, to storm out of the room, only pausing for a split second in his stride when he heard his son murmur, "Mara doesn't reside in my heart…she IS my heart," just as he stepped out of the door.

Uther let out a single breath at that, resting against the door, and pinching the bridge of his nose, hearing the familiar crashing sounds that signaled his son was venting his anger. He could only hope that Arthur would forgive him one day for what he was doing.

~8~

Marayna watched quietly from Arthur's chambers, standing at the window and looking down, as Arthur and Elena prepared for a ride out into the woods. Uther had all but ordered Arthur to show the woman around and when Godwyn had recommended a horse ride, Elena had been all too eager and Arthur had been forced to take her. She'd caught Uther hissing small commands to Arthur to 'get to know' the princess and 'be a gentleman' which she knew meant Arthur was likely going to bestow a flower to the girl at some point. That seemed to be his entire scope of how to be a gentleman to a woman, give her a flower. It didn't mean anything, in that context, she knew, it would literally just be Arthur being nice and (hopefully) getting his father off his back if he saw them return with Elena holding a flower or something.

And for that she felt like a hypocrite.

She had spent so long going back and forth between her feelings for Arthur and the stark reality she was living in. She wanted to be with him, yes, she loved him, of course, and she would have happily married him if it were possible…but it wasn't. She tried not to fall for him, it hadn't worked, he was just too bloody noble and kind and got under her skin and past the walls around her heart. After that she'd spent equal time trying to remind herself (and convince everyone around her) that Arthur was NOT going to marry her. That he'd have to marry a noblewoman or a princess, someone who could give him an heir, and that wasn't her. She KNEW that was how it would happen, it was how it was always going to when Uther was involved. She knew she and Arthur could never be.

And yet she continued to allow herself to be pulled closer and closer to him. She fell for him even more and did all she could to help him and be there for him, to protect him. She loved him and she told herself she would cherish the time they had together and eventually let him go to marry the woman he was meant to. And here she was, standing there, wishing Elena was gone, hating seeing them together. She'd been the one insisting they couldn't marry and now she was as against his marriage as he was.

Though she was sure it possibly had something to do with the fact that it was Elena. The girl wasn't enchanting Arthur, she wasn't going after the king, she was just…a girl. She as a normal girl and she was noble. She was everything that Marayna knew she wasn't…and yet she was like her as well in her mannerisms that it almost hurt to see Arthur about to marry a better version of her, a noble version of her. All the woman in the past who expressed an interest in him and he in them…they were usually enchanting him, forcing the feelings. They posed no threat because as soon as Uther found out about the bewitchment it usually ended soon after. Elena…she was the first one that Uther was actually campaigning for the marriage to happen.

And with the king's support…Marayna knew it was going to happen.

~8~

Marayna was sitting in the physician's chambers later that day, listening to Merlin, who had run into the room in a huff and shouting about Grunhilda, tell the story of what had just happened…an event which didn't make the last few events any better. There had been a small feast for Elena and Godwyn, the two kings talking more about weddings and proposals, Gaius had been flirted with by Grunhilda, and Elena had gotten a little drunk and made a bit more of a fool of herself than normal, subjecting the entire court to who and what their future queen would be like. Uther was putting more pressure on Arthur to propose and Arthur kept getting into more and more fights with his father over it all.

She'd been sulking, she could admit it, sulking and pouting and trying to just…keep her distance from Arthur. Yes, Elena too SO much looking after, but she was also purposefully trying to avoid the prince. If this marriage was going to happen, and Uther seemed determined to see his son married, then…it would just hurt. It would hurt to have Arthur promising and swearing it wouldn't happen…only for it to happen in the end. She didn't want to get her hopes up. Even though she knew and told herself that she and Arthur wouldn't ever be able to marry because of the obstacles in the way…she had foolishly allowed herself to hope some miracle might happen. And now, to see Uther pushing for Elena…those small hopes were dashed and she just…wanted to avoid more heartbreak before the actual wedding happened.

But right now as NOT the time to worry about herself, no, Merlin had just told them about how he'd been in the woods and spotted Grunhilda walking off. He'd followed her and seen her using magic and, not just that, but shooting out her tongue like it was a frog's, catching files to eat. He'd bolted after that, run right there and now they knew that something was afoot.

"I've seen some strange tongues in my time," Gaius frowned, "Maybe she was suffering from an infection. Was it discolored?"

"Discolored?" Merlin scoffed, "Yes."

"Brown?"

"Purple. And...long. Like…" he looked around and picked up a rather long stick off the workbench, "This long."

"I don't think an infection could quite cause that," Marayna grimaced seeing how long the stick was.

"No," Merlin agreed, "It's magic. Some sort of magical creature has infiltrated Lord Godwyn's household," he blinked and looked at Marayna, "Why didn't you see it?" he asked her, she usually saw through quite a few things, the Troll, the Sidhe, what was different about Grunhilda?

"I…don't know," she admitted, she really had NO idea why she hadn't seen anything off about the woman. Though, the only thing that came to mind was that…maybe it was her desire to not have to deal with Grunhilda or Elena that was making her magic…she didn't know, repress her sight? If that was the right word. Like her magic was reacting to her desire to not have to spend more time around the women to the point where it had kept her from seeing whatever it was Grunhilda was, "I think a more important question is why is Grunhilda here?"

"I don't know," Gaius sighed, "But I have a feeling we should probably find out…"

~8~

"Pixie dust?" Morgana frowned as she, Gwen, Merlin, and Marayna gathered in the physician's chambers later, all of them managing to sneak away from their duties for a few minutes, Gaius wanting to give his report of what he'd learned in his snooping to all of them at once, not trusting either Merlin or Marayna to explain or remember all the details of it.

"There's no mistaking it," Gaius sighed, "Grunhilda is a pixie. It would explain a thing or two. Pixies have one weakness, which is for...more...distinguished gentlemen."

"And by distinguished gentlemen you mean…" Marayna trailed off with a teasing look, the first almost-smile she'd given since before Elena arrived.

"Grunhilda has shown a certain interest toward me."

"She likes you?" Merlin blinked as Gaius nodded, "Oh, that is disgusting."

"I think it's sweet," Gwen defended.

"Yeah, but…imagine...imagine if she kissed you!" he grimaced at Gaius, "Urg."

"Merlin!" Gaius chastised, "Pixies are the servants of the Sidhe. To them Elena could be very valuable."

"Do you think she might be a changeling?" Morgana asked, hesitating a moment to bring it up.

"What's a changeling?" Marayna looked at her.

"It's something Morgause told me about," she explained, "It's someone that a fairy decides to live in when they're born, slowly taking them over."

"It would explain the clumsiness," Gaius nodded.

"And Elena has no idea this thing's inside of her?" Merlin glanced between the two of them.

Gaius shook his head as Gwen frowned, "That's terrible."

"Worse yet," Gaius remarked, "When the time comes, it will possess her entirely."

"And the time is now, isn't it?" Marayna sighed, running a hand through her hair in frustration and concern.

"The Sidhe live for more than a thousand years. They're a patient people. It may be that they have created this changeling knowing that Lord Godwyn and the House of Pendragon would one day seek unity through marriage. That would give the Sidhe something they want more than anything."

"A Sidhe queen," Merlin realized.

Marayna let out a small bitter laugh at that, "Imagine, Uther championing a Sidhe queen to the throne but he won't even consider a servant."

Morgana reached out and put a hand on the girl's arm, knowing all this was getting to her more than she wanted to admit it was. For all her claims that she'd be fine when the time came for Arthur to wed someone else, that she'd cherish the time they had and let him go…she wasn't coping nearly as well as she'd let off that she would. No one could blame her. Marayna had…never been in love before, had never considered marriage, she'd thought that it would be easy to go back to how things were before, that she'd be able to just…go on thinking she wasn't going to find love again and be fine. It wasn't so, it was far from it.

It was one thing to believe something, it was another to be forced to experience it.

~8~

Arthur was watching Marayna carefully as she tended to him, Morgana, and his father at dinner that night. Merlin had swapped places with her for just this chore, upon his request, he just…he wanted her here for what he was going to attempt to do, "Father," he began, speaking a little more loudly than was necessary, wanting to know Marayna could hear him, "There is a delicate matter I wish to discuss with you…"

"Your proposal," Uther cut in, catching Marayna's flinch in the corner of his eye, "Excellent! We must make a fuss. Women like that kind of thing, isn't that right, Morgana?"

Morgana gave a slightly tense smile, "I rather think they prefer subtlety," she remarked, thinking of her own proposal, "Meaning," she glanced up and cleared her throat, not wanting to say more.

"Well I couldn't be more thrilled," Uther chuckled, "She'll make a wonderful wife…"

"No," Arthur cut in firmly, "She won't. Not for me, anyway. Father, I have tried to get to know Elena, but the truth is, I have no feelings for her. I'm…I'm sure she's a wonderful person, but I cannot marry someone I don't love."

Uther's expression darkened as he looked at his son, "You can," he nearly barked the order, staring his son down, "And you will," he waited, daring Arthur to disobey him…and the boy looked down.

Morgana glanced at Marayna to see her look away, '_He tried,_' was all she could offer the woman, both knew how hard it was for Arthur to disobey direct orders like that. She'd hate to be Arthur right then, to have to be in that position, though she knew, once Arthur was wed it would only be a matter of time before Uther turned his gaze on HER as well and forced her to marry someone against her will. She just hoped that Uther knew what he was doing.

Marayna offered her a small smile in return, sad though it was, and hoped that Merlin was having better luck in Elena's rooms.

~8~

"You were right," Merlin reported as he joined his sister and Gaius back in the physician's quarters, Morgana (and Gwen) had been escorted back to her rooms by Uther who had wanted a word with the woman about the upcoming wedding, "Poor girl, no wonder she's got a wind problem. You should see what she's got trapped inside her!"

Marayna grimaced, catching an image of it in Merlin's mind. He'd been lurking outside the door of Elena's rooms and seen Grunhilda sprinkle some dust into Elena's face, revealing what looked like a Sidhe just beneath her skin, "Do we tell Uther?" she looked at Gaius, "Would he even believe a noble if they accused Godwyn and Elena?"

"I'm afraid not," Gaius shook his head solemnly, "Lord Godwyn is one of Uther's dearest friends. Accusing him of having a Sidhe for a daughter and a pixie for a nurse is not something that can be undertaken lightly."

"But Uther wants Arthur to marry her," Merlin reminded the man.

"Then we don't have much time. We have to find a spell that will force the fairy out of her."

"Let me guess," Marayna deadpanned, "We have to teach ourselves Sidhe magic now, don't we?"

Gaius merely smirked and handed her a book.

~8~

Marayna stood before Arthur's door, pacing, about to knock, actually knock, only to turn away at the last moment, then go to do it again over and over. She'd left Merlin and Gaius in the physician's chambers to work on a potion that Gaius had found in some old book, even the aged and experienced physician seemed he'd be having difficulty with the potion, identifying the parts and plants. So she'd left them to their devices of getting the potion somewhat ready. She would go back and help but…there was something she had to do first.

So she moved back to the door…just as it opened and Arthur stepped out, "Mara!" he gasped, surprised to see her there, "What…what are you doing here?" he'd been trying to find her alone all day.

"I need to talk to you," she said, glancing behind him.

He nodded and stepped back, allowing her in and turning around when the door shut to face her, "Uther seems to have gotten it in his head that you're marrying Elena, word's already spread to everyone in the kingdom," she offered a weak smile, "They can't wait for your wedding, for a new princess to come up."

"And what about you?" he looked at her, that was the one that really mattered to him.

"I…" she shrugged, she couldn't say, "I think that…no matter what, no matter who, Elena, Vivien, Sophia, anyone else, there will always be people who want to wed you. And there'll be people who will never accept us if we were to wed. And…I think that, you're a prince."

"Glad you finally noticed," Arthur joked weakly, not liking where this was heading.

"And as a prince…your first obligation is to Camelot, to its people, YOUR subjects, and their safety and prosperity," she continued, "I think they should always come first to you, whether as king or prince or knight, your first duty is to Camelot. And I think…I am not what would benefit the kingdom…"

"Mara," he cut in.

"Arthur," she used his full name and he fell silent, "I'm not saying Elena is what's best, but…I am saying that there will be someone, someday, that is the best fit for Queen and when you do, know that I won't be angry or bitter against you for it. You just...found someone that you love, someone worthy of being your Queen."

"YOU," he insisted.

She smiled sadly at that, "You'll be a great king one day Arthur, with or without me there," she nodded firmly, she really did believe that. The Dragon and his prophecy…she didn't know what to believe. The Dragon had said Morgana and Mordred would be evil and dark…they were the brightest people she knew.

He'd been wrong before, maybe he was wrong about this too.

She gave him a small nod, seeing that he had listened to her words and turned to go, slipping out of the room quietly and praying that he'd take heed of them this time.

~8~

Arthur proposed.

To Elena.

And Marayna was quite sure her words had inspired him to do it. She hadn't meant for that to happen, she'd just wanted him to stop trying to find her all day to apologize or reassure her that he wasn't going to wed the woman. She'd wanted to keep distance incase Uther turned his ire on her, incase he started to blame her for Arthur's hesitancy with Elena…it seemed she had nothing to worry about as Arthur took her words to heart.

He had an obligation to Camelot, and its king, and if he was being ordered to marry Elena…he would, though his heart would break to do so.

And if that wasn't bad enough, the one shred of light in it all, the potion that Gaius had found to free Elena had almost been done, Merlin having returned just earlier, covered in mud after having gotten the last ingredient from the middle of a boggy, marshy terrain, had been destroyed. It seemed Grunhilda had spotted Merlin following her and knew they knew about the magic being used. She'd contacted the rest of the Sidhe and they'd launched an attack on Camelot, well more like an attack on Merlin who kept swatting him away with a fly swatter. Eventually they'd managed to stop the Sidhe attacking, Marayna tossing Merlin Sophia's staff so the man could use more of his magic to target the little buggers.

The potion had been broken in the process, but luckily Gaius had been able to make another one just in time. Though the elation Gaius felt at having managed to do so in such little time, recreate the potion, quickly wore off when they realized the only way to be able to get the potion to the girl was when Grunhilda wasn't there…which meant they needed a plan to capture the maid…and bait.

So, of course, their minds had gone to only one person…Gaius. If pixies were so taken with distinguished gentlemen, they invited him along for that purpose, to lure the woman towards him to capture her. Which was why they were now hiding in the vaults below Camelot, needing somewhere secure that they could hold the woman or at least delay her long enough to free Elena.

"Ooh, look at you being all handsome uncle," Marayna cooed as they hid. Gaius had had to dress up a bit to meet Grunhilda, to tell her to meet him there and hadn't had time to get back to his usual self, "Bless your little heart."

"Perfect bait," Merlin agreed, hearing Morgana contact him in his mind to tell him she had spotted Grunhilda on her way. She and Gwen were attending to Elena, helping her 'prepare' for the wedding though they were really just keeping tabs on both her and Grunhilda for them.

"If this doesn't work," Gaius warned, "If it seems she is overpowering me…"

"Don't worry uncle, we know," Marayna offered a small smirk, "We should not get trapped as well…"

"Yes," Merlin nodded, "We shall just watch and wait."

"You will rescue me," Gaius gave them a firm look, "And if it does work, let us never speak of it again."

"Hello my lover!" they heard Grunhilda call, the woman spotting Gaius standing a little more exposed in the Vaults than they were, "Oh, what a romantic place. I've been dreaming of this moment."

Gaius put on the most forced smile he could manage, "Me too," he reached for her.

"Longing for this time," she breathed, coming closer and closer.

He nodded, shifting uncomfortably though Grunhilda didn't notice, "Longing."

"At last, we two will be as one!" she cheered, puckering her lips and leaning in…only for Gaius to make a break for it out of the room, Merlin and Marayna rushing out from where they'd been hiding to lock the gates, trapping her inside. But that didn't stop her from flicking her extended tongue out to touch Gaius's face, "You'll never know what you've missed!"

"I'll take your word for it," Gaius grimaced as they turned to run off, Gaius shooting his wards a firm look, "_Never_ speak of it," he repeated, "That's what we agreed."

"Of course," Merlin smirked as Marayna mimed buttoning her lips.

~8~

Merlin and Marayna walked quickly with Gaius down the hall towards Elena's room, Merlin holding Sophia's staff in his hand, ready to use it to help them stop the Sidhe inside of Elena.

"You got your staff," Gaius began, looking at his wards, "When the Sidhe is released, it might not be very happy."

"Don't worry," Gaius waved him off, though he was clutching the staff firmly in his hand, "I'll be ready for it"

"And when he's not," Marayna stepped to his side, "I will be."

"You better be ready for me first!" a vicious shout sounded behind them.

They spun around to see Grunhilda had escaped, Merlin quickly sent a blast of magic at her, sending her back, but she recovered quickly, getting up and attacking them with her tongue.

"Uncle go," Marayna called, "We can hold her off but you have to give Elena the potion!"

"Be quick!" Merlin grunted as Grunhilda's tongue latched onto the staff and tried to pry it from him.

Gaius nodded and ran into Elena's room, leaving them to fend off the angry pixie. It was actually surprisingly easy to beat Grunhilda back and finish her off, they probably didn't even need to send Gaius in alone actually. One rather powerful blast at Grunhilda from the staff was enough to take her out and turn her to dust. They all but ran into Elena's room, half expecting to be facing another angry Sidhe, only to see that Gaius was sitting beside Elena, trying to get the girl to just drink the potion, Morgana and Gwen standing by, ready to help.

"I'm trying," he whispered at the look they sent him.

"We don't have the time," Marayna strode forward and grabbed the potion.

"Elena, this is gonna make you feel a whole lot better!" Merlin moved to the princess's side and held her head back, pinching her nose as his sister poured the foul tasting potion down her throat. The woman immediately collapsed back onto her bed, twitching and twisting…only to fall still a moment later. The Sidhe shot out of her, forced out by the potion but this time it was Marayna who took it out with the staff, the two of them more able to cope after facing Grunhilda.

Elena let out a soft noise as she slowly woke and pushed herself up, sitting daintily on the edge of her bed, her back stiff, prime and proper as a princess should be and looking up at them in confusion.

"Not to worry, my dear," Gaius quickly reassured her, "I think you must've fainted. Such excitement!"

"Fainted?" she blinked, as though the notion was astounding, "I feel...amazing. I haven't felt this good in years! Where is Grunhilda?"

The three of them exchanged a look, before saying "We'll look into it."

~8~

Merlin hesitated in bringing Arthur the sword he'd been polishing, he didn't want to give the prince the last piece he needed to marry Elena, the ceremonial sword. He didn't want Arthur to marry Elena at all, but he had little choice and he supposed it could be worse, Marayna had been left to tend to Elena, helping the woman prepare like he was helping Arthur, since Grunhilda wasn't there to do it. How cruel a fate, to help ready the woman about to marry the man you loved.

"I brought you your ceremonial sword," he called out, heading to Arthur's side, the prince pale and quiet, looking quite heartbroken and devastated.

"Is that for me to fall on?" Arthur mumbled.

"Hopefully not, Aya would have my head," he tried to joke but mentioning his sister made Arthur flinch, "What's wrong?"

"You wouldn't understand, Merlin. You will get to marry the woman you love one day," he swore to himself that Merlin and Morgana would, if he had to officiate the ceremony himself, he'd not see the girl who was like a sister to him suffer this fate, "You have no idea what it's like to have a destiny you can't escape."

"Destinies are…troublesome things," Merlin agreed as Arthur took the sword, "You feel trapped, like your whole life is being planned out for you and you've got no control over anything, and sometimes you don't even know if what destiny decided is really the best thing at all," he could remember Marayna thinking that, how she'd railed against being Arthur's wife…and now it seemed she never would be.

"How come you're so knowledgeable?" Arthur glanced at him.

"Hmm? Oh, I read a book."

"What would this book tell you? Should I marry her?" he didn't want to, but…Marayna ad reminded him he had a duty to his people…hadn't she once said something about there being more to life than duty though?

"That's not really my place to say so…"

"I'm asking you," Arthur turned to him, "It's your job to answer."

"If you really want to know what I think..." he glanced at Arthur who was staring at him expectantly, "I think you're mad, I think you're_ all_ mad. People should marry for love, not convenience. Like Morgana and I, that if it's truly love…it should be fought for with everything you have. Because you'll be miserable if you're mot married to Marayna and if Uther thinks an unhappy king makes for a stronger kingdom, then he's wrong. Cos you may be destined to rule Camelot, but you have a choice...as to how you do it," he looked at Arthur meaningfully, "And YOU have a choice as to who you want to rule it with."

Arthur looked over as the doors to the Hall of Ceremonies opened and a trumpet sounded. He swallowed hard and made his way to the altar. He didn't even notice when, moments later, Elena was led up the aisle towards him, his gaze was focused on the crowd, on trying to spot a head of black hair and blue eyes…but it wasn't there. His heart sank and eased to realize Marayna wasn't there. It hurt, because he needed her there, it hurt that she wasn't there for him in this, but he was relieved as he didn't want her to see him about to marry someone else, he didn't want to see the hurt and pain in her face when the ceremony began.

"My lords, ladies, and gentlemen of Camelot," Geoffrey began, pulling his attention back, he looked at Elena's hands, knowing he should reach out and clasp them as was tradition but…he couldn't, "We are gathered here today to celebrate the ancient rite of hand fasting, the union of Arthur Pendragon and Princess Elena of Gawant. Is it your wish, Arthur, to become one with this woman?" Geoffrey looked at him.

Arthur was silent a long while, looking at Elena, and then…to his father, the king watching him with a calculating gaze, a commanding eye, silently ordering him to say yes…

"No," Arthur said, looking at Geoffrey, "It is not."

"Arthur!" Uther stood, an angry expression on his face.

But Arthur ignored him, turning to Elena, who seemed quite relieved, "Elena, you are a wonderful woman, and a beautiful bride, but I cannot deny my feelings. Neither of us, I think, loves the other," she nodded at that, "We are both merely here out of duty," he smiled, "But there is more to life than duty. I cannot marry you."

"Arthur," Uther strode over to him, "Have you lost your mind?!"

"No, father," Arthur turned to him, "I cannot marry someone I do not love anymore than you could have," he gave his father a pointed look, reminding him of Ygraine and his love, who they'd wed despite it all."

"Think of your duty to Camelot!"

"I am," he stood firm, "When I am ready to be King, I'll be a much better king for the support and strength of a woman I love. Camelot will thrive on love, not suffer in civility," he took a breath, "I am sorry father, but I will NOT marry on your command. If I am to be king, I will do so in my way, on my own power. Or would you have a king who bows to pressure?"

Uther stared at him a long while, Elena subtly stepping back, everyone thinking that Arthur was going to be disowned or disinherited for such a blatant display of refusal. It was one thing to defy the man in secret, in private, in a small setting, when he was enchanted even, but here and now? When his actions would affect the future of Camelot…they knew Uther must be about to murder his only son and heir…

So when the man started to smile, the crowd was shocked.

"I thought as much," Uther remarked lightly.

"I'm sorry?" Arthur blinked.

"A wise king, a STRONG king," Uther began, "Must do what he feels in his heart is right, damn the consequences. He must remain firm, resolved, and confident in his decisions no matter what they may be. He must be willing to fight for what is best for his kingdom no matter the cost…well done Arthur."

Arthur blinked again, "This was a test?!" he wasn't sure whether to be offended or inordinately relieved about that.

"Yes," Uther nodded, "And, as you have passed, I believe a reward is in order."

Arthur had just started frowning, when the doors to the Hall were opened…and his breath left him, there…standing at the end of the aisle was Marayna, dressed in a lovely gown. It appeared to be a simple, long sleeved gown with a wide neckline, but over that was a sheer, lacy cover, almost like a long sleeved robe, with three clasps in the front like buttons on the bodice, the rest falling open. Her hair was down and she was smiling at him…it was then he noticed the small band of silver around her head…matching the small band of gold around his own.

"Father…" Arthur tried to look at him, stunned, but Marayna was walking down the aisle towards him and he couldn't pull his gaze away.

"You have my blessing Arthur," Uther told him quietly, moving to sit down again, Godwyn and Elena joining him as the others stared, Merlin was flabbergasted as Morgana merely smirked knowingly.

"Mara…" Arthur breathed, staring at her, gaping at her.

"It would be a waste," she offered in a light, nervous excuse, "To set all this up for a wedding and have it not happen."

Arthur let out a breath at that and smiled, he didn't care. He didn't care what her reason was for changing her mind for agreeing to marry him right then and there, he'd find out later, right now…he needed to marry her before she changed her mind…or worse, his father found whatever senses left him and halted this.

"Um…is it…" Geoffrey began, about to start the ceremony over again.

"Yes," Arthur cut in, taking Marayna's hands, knowing what the question was, did he want to marry her? Was there even a question?

Geoffrey let out a small chuckle and looked at Marayna, "Is it your wish to become one with this man?"

Marayna smirked, "Let me think about that…" laughing when Arthur squeezed her hands, "Yes, of course it is."

Arthur beamed at that.

Geoffrey turned, picking up a single strip of red cloth, placing it on their joined hands, and wrapping it around them, speaking formalities and traditional words that neither Arthur nor Marayna heard as they smiled at each other, lost in their looks…till Geoffrey placed his hands on theirs.

"I now name you," he looked between them, "Man and wife," he looked at the crowd, lifting their hands, "Prince Arthur and the Princess Marayna!"

The crowd, despite being mostly nobles, began to cheer as Arthur pulled Marayna to him and kissed her deeply, not seeming to remember them all watching, though neither did Marayna as she wound her arms around him and returned the kiss just as eagerly.

"Why?" Arthur whispered as he pulled away, panting lightly, his eyes searching hers. Why now? Why change her mind?

She just smiled, "Someone put things in perspective," she shrugged, turning to look, of all people, at Uther as the king himself smiled and gave her a nod.

~8~

_Marayna entered Uther's chambers, frowning as she'd been called there in the middle of helping Elena, "Sire?" she frowned looking at him. He was sitting by the fire, staring at it, but otherwise unmoving, "You asked for me?"_

_"The dress…" he nodded to the side._

_She blinked and looked over to see a white gown lying on the bed beside him. She walked over to it, conscious of Uther's eyes on her as she went, peering down at the gown. It was simple, like a long, white gown, with a sort of lace over it but more like a buttoned up robe that flowed openly from the front, "It's lovely sire," she glanced back at him, "Shall I deliver it to Princess Elena?"_

_"No," he shook his head, "She already has a dress for the occasion."_

_"Then why…" she frowned, gesturing at the dress._

_"Because I doubt servants have any clothing suitable for wedding a prince," he remarked so calmly she'd almost have thought he were commenting on the weather if not for the way he'd turned to look at her._

_"I…don't understand," she admitted._

_"You love my son," he stated, not a question._

_"Yes," she nodded, knowing she'd already told him that._

_"He loves you as well," he sighed, "I have…seen how he gazes at you, it is…the same as when I would look at Ygraine," his voice grew quiet and he looked at the dress in memory…_

_It was then she realized the dress was Ygraine's, "I have already told you, Sire, that I will not stand in the way of Arthur marrying an acceptable woman and…"_

_"And you haven't," he agreed, "Do not think I am not aware that it was YOUR words that convinced him to propose to Elena," he eyed her, "You fail to realize…as I have only just begun to accept the truth of…that you ARE an acceptable woman."_

_"Not for a prince though," she shook her head, "I'm a foreigner…"_

_"As is Elena," Uther cut in._

_"I'm a peasant and a servant…"_

_"Who will understand the people and appreciate all that is given to her," Uther countered, "I have seen the fruits of my labors in my people," he confessed, "I see their…hatred of me, their fear…that is NOT what I want for my son."_

_"And you think I can help, what? Calm the people?" she shook her head._

_"A princess is often offered in marriage as a way to bridge a gap, to unite a people, I want my people to stand behind my son in a way they do not with me."_

_Marayna blinked, she…hadn't thought of it like that before, what a marriage of a peasant and a prince would mean to the people, that there was a royal out there that cared for them that much…that could care about them if he could marry one of them._

_"I'm still a bastard though," she shook her head, "I'm illegitimate."_

_"That would seem rather pointless when coupled with being a peasant," Uther remarked easily, as though he'd had that argument thought out already, "Scores of peasants are the same, it would, undoubtedly be expected as a possibility. In being a peasant, to marry a prince you are already at a disadvantage, the nature of your birth would hold little more meaning. ARTHUR's lineage is the one that will matter more."_

_Marayna blinked, "I'm barren."_

_"I shall tell you something I have only spoke of to Gaius," he began, "Morgana…is my daughter," Marayna feigned surprise at that, "She was the product of an early marriage that did not last," he sighed, "But she is my legitimate daughter, if unrecognized. I have already seen to it that, should I die before I am able to do so, she will be recognized as my daughter after Arthur is crowned king. HER children would be acceptable heirs to the throne, as Arthur's sister-sons."_

_Marayna honestly hadn't been expecting him to think of Morgana, but that was likely because she knew the woman's plans to marry her brother and Uther didn't. He'd have no idea the half-peasant children to take the throne in that case. Which…was oddly fitting, she had to admit, if she did marry Arthur, the children would be half-peasant anyway…_

_"I have…" she cut herself off…had she really been about to tell UTHER she had magic?!_

_Uther was silent, "Why are you so determined not to wed my son?"_

_"Why are you so determined to see me wed him?" she countered immediately, she'd given her reasons, a number of them, how poorly she acted (though now Morgana's little smirks during her 'lessons' made sense, Uther had clearly wanted Morgana to teach her how to act like a noblewoman for that reason), she'd given him a list of personal reasons (which he'd torn apart), and…her own fears of mucking it all up. So if anyone was going to answer, it would be HIM about what he was thinking in proposing this._

_"I believe…you will make Arthur a better king, as Ygraine did for me," he said after a moment, "You are…very much like her," he told her, "You fight him, you challenge Arthur, you…don't let him saddle by with anything. You are open and honest and…you protect him. You are loyal and…your fear for Camelot ensures you will always have her best interests at heart. You…keep him fighting, you make him want to do better and be better, be a stronger king, a better man than me," he looked at her, "I would see you my son's wife…if you would agree."_

_Marayna looked down at that, she…had no idea Uther, of all people, considered her as having potential to be a good Queen. All this time, she'd been thinking of how she'd fail, that she didn't realize…no matter what, SHE was the one that pushed Arthur to succeed. She shouldn't be concerned about herself and what she might do, but what she could help HIM do._

_And if she made him a better king…maybe he'd make her a decent Queen._

_She took a breath, "Thank you."_

~8~

Marayna smiled and nodded back, before allowing Arthur to pull her down the aisle to continue the celebrations. No matter what or who she was…the people were ready to celebrate.

Camelot had a new princess and if she was anything like she was as a servant as a noble...it would be...quite the interesting time.

A/N: Sorry for this late posting :( The scene with Uther and Marayna took me about 6 rewrites and I'm still not sure if I'm happy with it :/ But I wanted to get this chapter up and so I hope you like it ;) There'll be MUCH more about this wedding and thoughts of others in the next chapter ;) I can say...someone might be a little worried about the marriage }:)

I'm very excited for tomorrow for that and...I'll be posting my 4th Time Lady OC series for Doctor Who tomorrow too! ^-^ Friday is a good day ;)

No real notes on reviews for the last chapter ;)


	11. First Day

First Day

Marayna woke slowly to the feel of someone running their hand up and down her back, taking a moment to run a hand through her hair at times. She smiled, snuggling closer, burying her face into the warm neck beside her, "This dress is not very comfortable to sleep in," she murmured, blinking her eyes open to smile at Arthur.

"Yes…" he gave her a sheepish grin, "Sorry about that," he glanced down at where they were lying, on his bed…both still in their clothes from the night before, him in all his ceremonial attire, her in the white gown for their wedding.

Their wedding.

He felt himself starting to beam at that, it was…not at all what he'd expected would happen when Elena arrived. When his father had hinted at the girl being his wife, he'd refused, he hadn't wanted a thing to do with her. But Marayna…she'd been right, he had a duty to Camelot and a responsibility to his people, so he'd proposed properly. He was quite sure the only reason he'd been able to do it was that he'd imagined proposing to Marayna…and even that hadn't helped much. Getting to the point where the wedding WAS happening…he felt like he was being crushed, like he couldn't breathe, like there was a cold vice around his heart that just kept twisting more and more and…he couldn't do it. He couldn't marry Elena.

And then his father, of all people, revealed the entire thing was just an orchestrated ploy, a test…one with the best possible reward he could think of. He truly hadn't been expecting the result he'd gotten, more so he'd been completely convinced his father would disown him for such a glaring disobedience. He'd actually asked his father why he'd insisted Marayna and he wed right then, instead of courting her as was proper. His father had, quite surprisingly (as he'd thought they'd been more discreet than they apparently were), that he'd already been courting the girl for years now, hadn't he, in a way? And...there was a more political move behind having the wedding when it was, so suddenly. Well, two reasons. The first was that Uther was well aware of how Elena was, her nature, how others would react to her. She was...FAR worse than Marayna was, in a more disgusting manner than a confident outspokenness and disregard for propriety. To force the court to endure her...they'd be grateful for anyone who wasn't Elena (he hoped). And, failing to inspire that sentiment, his TRUE reason for insisting on the sudden wedding.

He wanted the court, the people, the kingdom, to see that HE, the King, supported the union, that he was the man behind it. He wanted it known that Marayna had his approval. If Arthur had waited till after he'd died to wed the girl...there would be an upheavel from the more rigid nobles, the stricter elders of his council. They would find fault with her more so than now, without HIM there to defend his son's choices. No one could argue with the king, if he felt the girl was acceptable for his son...she was. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Where his son's desires after he'd passed would be subject to question...at the moment, HIS word was law.

Arthur had been a bit shocked, though, to find that Elena and Godwyn had been a part of it from the start. Though he'd later found out that Elena's entire demeanor and actions before the wedding were NOT a ruse, she had, in fact, been genuinely clumsy and disgusting. He really had thought she was faking though, especially after the wedding where she'd been very poised and polite and just…different. Though, if he were being honest, he hardly noticed as he was far too taken with his wife.

His wife.

God he was never going to get used to that, Marayna was his wife now, she'd accepted his offer to marry him, she HAD married him. He could never thank his father enough for it. Marayna had told him, amidst a slow waltz-like dance in the middle of the hall, what his father had said to her that made her change her mind. It as something he had implied and told her over and over for years now, that she was just…perfect the way she was but he could understand why his father's words affected her more. Uther was the most critical man on the planet, the most dedicated to the preservation and prosperity of Camelot. For HIM to believe she'd be a good queen…for him to be able to look past every excuse she'd used to try and not marry him for fear of what it would mean for him…then there was really no reason not to be with him. And he was infinitely grateful that she'd finally given in.

Marayna reached out and touched his cheek, "I don't think I've ever seen you drink that much," she remarked. Normally she wouldn't ever let him or Merlin drink the way they had last night, but…it was a special occasion and she could admit she had laughed her head off at Drunk-Arthur. Merlin was a very happy drunk, very affectionate but to everyone (Morgana, she was sure, was certainly enjoying Merlin's words and attention), Arthur…was a very touchy drunk, he hardly let her go, seemed fixated on her. She loved the affection, she loved that…that they could be open about it now. They'd tried in the past, to make it less noticeable, but they hardly had the control that Merlin and Morgana had. They knew a few people were aware or at least could guess where their affections lied. She'd all but admitted it to Uther and, to be able to take Arthur's hand or steal a kiss or share a sweet look with him and have to not worry about someone catching them…it made last night all the more amazing.

The only qualm she had was that Arthur had gotten so smashed in his revelry that she'd needed Leon's help to drag the prince back to their chamber (oh…that would take a while to get used to, THEIR chambers) and deposit Arthur on the bed. The prince though, in his drunken state, had maintained his fixation and hadn't let go of her arm, taking her down with him much like when Gaius had drugged him to stop him fighting Tristan. She'd ended up half pinned beneath him, Leon trying his best to cover his chuckles at the predicament and offering to help heft Arthur up to free her. She'd just waved him off and said she was rather comfortable. Leon had left them to their own devices…which wasn't really much of anything. The moment Arthur's head hit the pillow he was out, which meant their wedding night bliss would likely have to be postponed. She had no issue with that, she just…to be honest, she was a bit nervous about that part. She'd spent her life never ever thinking she'd get married, so she hadn't thought on what came after. Even after learning she was destined (and seemed to have fulfill) to be queen…she STILL hadn't actually thought she'd marry Arthur so now…she didn't know what to do.

She was a little grateful that they'd just slept last night. She'd been…so worried and scared and excited she was just completely exhausted by the end of it and she really just wanted to sleep, which she'd gotten. They'd shifted in the night, ending up curled against each other and that had been a lovely way to wake up.

"I was happy, I wanted to celebrate," he shrugged, not even seeming to feel the hangover she was sure HAD to be pounding away in his head, he was just smiling at her, seeming at ease with his life, "I've…" he hesitated a moment, "I've never fallen asleep that happy before, not in my entire life."

Marayna blinked at that and smiled softly at him, moving her hand from his cheek to lightly stroke his face, tracing it, her eyes roving over him, taking in every feature, "Well get used to it," she murmured, "You're going to be falling asleep, AND waking up like that for a very long time."

He let out a small laugh as he took her hand, stopping her tracing but holding it, "And how long will that be?" he pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.

Marayna's gaze turned thoughtful, her words serious, "For as long as you'll have me."

And…that was the part that terrified her. Most people would assume that would be to the end of one of their lives. And it was true, Arthur was it for her, but…the part about the end, that could be literally any moment for her. There was one…rather LARGE secret she hadn't told him yet, about her, about her magic. She'd always planned to, somewhere in the back of her mind, she'd thought, if she really DID marry him, that she'd have told him about her magic first, that he'd have asked her to marry him knowing everything about her. That hadn't happened.

She was selfish too, she knew. She should have told Arthur about her magic before he married her, that was…entirely too much of a secret to keep from her husband. And it killed her that he STILL didn't now but…she'd done it, she'd made her choice to marry him without telling him. She could argue in her head there wasn't time between Uther offering her what was likely her one opportunity to marry Arthur (before whatever had possessed the king to agree to a barren, bastard, servant/peasant marrying his only son and heir passed). And that was it, she'd STILL taken that chance.

She knew why though. She knew what the most likely situation would be if Arthur or Uther found out about her magic…something she knew Arthur at least needed to know. And…she was dreading it, she was terrified of it, she didn't want it to happen so badly that if she could find some way to remove her magic she probably would have taken it she was that scared of what would happen. She just…wanted a few days, she just wanted at least a moment with Arthur as her husband, before he learned the truth and…well, bad things happened.

She just wanted a moment of happiness with him before the inevitable fallout that would come.

And she knew it would come quite soon, she could feel it.

"To the end of my life then," Arthur decided.

Marayna was silent though, thinking much the same, 'or to the end of hers.'

Arthur kissed the back of her hand once more and sighed, "I must go though…"

"Why?" she frowned.

"Elena and Godwyn will be leaving soon, I was to see them off at the end of their stay," he remarked, though she could tell by the sound of his voice that that was the LAST thing he wanted to do.

"It's the day after your wedding though," she reminded him, "Surely they can't expect you to be there."

"After all Elena and Godwyn have done to see this happen," he squeezed her hand, "I owe them this pleasantry."

She sighed, "Can I lie in a bit longer?" she asked, "The bed is warm and…bigger than any I've ever lain in."

He chuckled and leaned in, kissing her forehead, "Of course, it was your wedding night too," he wiggled his eyebrows at her as she rolled her eyes. He laughed and got up, looking down at himself, "Suppose I can't expect Merlin this morning," he winced, imaging the hangover the boy would be sporting, "No bother," her remarked, quite jovially if Marayna had to describe it…wedded bliss suited him if he wasn't about to shout at her brother for 'shirking duties' which…reminded her of something.

"Arthur?" she called, watching as he pulled off his cape, his chainmail, took his sword belt off to remove everything except his tunic and trousers, clearly intending to go the day just like that.

"Yes?" he looked at her as he put the belt back on.

She offered him a smiled, "After you see them off…there's something I need to talk to you about."

"And so it begins," he joked, winking at her, "Anything you want Mara, it's yours," he smiled, adding, "Princess," with an exaggerated bow before he stepped out of the room.

She waited a beat till she was sure he was gone, "I want you to make my brother a Lord."

~8~

Marayna was in…quite the predicament come her actually getting out of the bed and standing in the middle of the room in her wedding gown…only to realize…she had NO idea what to do now. She had not thought this through in the rush to get ready for her surprise wedding and she was just becoming aware of the fact that she didn't have any clothes in Arthur's room, that would have been very improper and now she was stuck.

And she was also starting to realize…she was going to have to wear gowns now wasn't she? Not just her normal, simple dresses, but…regal attire? Urg, maybe she should have said no. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair before she realized yet another thing…a bit of a delayed reaction though…that Geoffrey (and Arthur) had called her princess. She knew she wasn't really the princess till she'd been coronated like Arthur, made it official and whatnot, but it seemed like people considered her already the princess upon marrying Arthur…and if she WAS the new princess of Camelot…

She could 'order' that her dresses be simpler than she was sure Arthur would insist. She could make sure, she could actually have a say in what she wore now. That was…nice. But that didn't solve her current problem of not being able to leave the room except in her wedding gown and…it was precious. It was Arthur's mother's…it made her sad that her own mother hadn't been there for her wedding but…no one knew if it would even happen, if Arthur would stand up to his father or wed Elena. There had been nothing saying that she would even agree to wed Arthur! She was already planning to ask Arthur if he would mind going to Ealdor again, perhaps experiencing a small wedding there, a little taste of what the marriages in her village were like. She really did want her mother and Mordred to see her get married. Even if it was a 'second' wedding, she wanted them to be able to experience it and she wanted Arthur to see the simplicity of a marriage in Ealdor.

Still…what to do? She knew she couldn't leave the room in her gown. But that didn't mean she could leave the room in her underdress. She was well aware that a 'princess' walking around in her knickers was probably NOT a good thing to do. Arthur had ample tunics she could use, but no leggings and that was almost as bad as being in her knickers.

She let out a long sigh and moved to sit on the bed, about to call out to Merlin or Morgana and ask them if they might bring her one of her old gowns, that would be less improper than her other options…when the door opened and a young girl with red hair entered, dressed in the typical outfit for a servant.

"Oh!" the girl gasped, before dipping into a half-bow, half-curtsy, "My Lady, I apologize, I did not know you were in here!"

Marayna blinked and frowned, looking over her shoulder for a second and back to the girl, "Morgana's in her chambers."

The girl stared at her a moment, flushing, "I…I believe so, ma'am."

"Ma'am?" Marayna nearly choked at that.

"Would you prefer princess?" the girl asked quickly, fearing she'd offended the new princess, "Um…majesty?" she offered, seeing Marayna staring at her, "My Lady are you alright?"

"I'm not a lady," Marayna remarked automatically and the girl shifted, not sure how to counter that without coming across too forward with the now-noblewoman.

"You are prince Arthur's wife though," the girl mumbled.

Marayna nearly smacked herself for that, that…really would take her a very long time to get used to. To go from being nearly nothing to those around her, invisible in every way, to someone others were stuttering and shifting around and worrying about offending was jarring, "You know me…but I'm afraid I don't know who you are," she admitted, "Sorry."

"It is not your fault at all my Lady," the girl said quickly, "I am Marian," she gave another semi-curtsy.

"That's a lovely name," Marayna offered, "But um…why exactly are you here though? Isn't Merlin Arthur's servant?" at least till she got the chance to speak to him.

"Yes, ma'…"

"Rayna," she cut in, "Please, I…I'm just Marayna, call me Rayna."

"Yes…Rayna," Marian swallowed hard at that, seeming not comfortable at all with being so familiar with the woman, "I've been assigned as your maidservant."

Marayna blinked, then blinked again, and one more time, "…you're joking."

"No ma…Rayna," Marian shook her head, "I was just assigned moments ago and rushed to…" she held up her arms where Marayna could see a small bit of fabric folded in it, a red gown of sorts…a gown she was hoping was NOT as fancy as she thought it might be. She could recognize a bit of Gwen's handiwork in the stitching though and hoped it wouldn't be anything too over the top.

Marayna stood up and held up her hands, shaking her head, "I don't need a maidservant, sorry," she added quickly, "I…I can take care of myself."

Marian blinked, "But…I was assigned as your personal servant…"

"And I WAS a servant," she reminded the girl as gently as possible, "I dressed myself and bathed myself and tended to my hair just fine for more than 4 years," she reached out and slowly took the dress from Marian, "Please…um…extend my apologies to whoever assigned you to me?" she offered, not sure if that was a good way to phrase it or not, "But I don't now, nor will I likely ever need a maidservant."

Marian blinked once more, seemingly startled that the girl, a noble, was refusing a servant, that she wanted to care for herself. But Marayna was right, she HAD been a servant, she'd done all that and more when she had been, she'd dressed and cleaned and mucked out stables…just because she was married to Arthur, it wasn't like she was going to forget how to do that and turn into a simpering lady who needed help with everything. Even Morgana didn't force Gwen to do everything for her, merely help lace up some complicated dresses or help pin her hair when she couldn't see behind her.

"Ma'am," Marian gave her a quick bow/curtsy and turned to leave.

"It's Rayna!" she called after the girl, before sighing, looking up as a piece of hair fell in front of her face and blew it away before turning to step behind the changing screen and dressing herself as she always had.

~8~

"Gwen!" Marayna smiled as she ran into Gwen and Morgana walking in the corridors, on her way to try and find Merlin, wanting to check on him and his hangover. She didn't doubt that Morgana could have healed him when he woke, but then again, the woman might just be a tiny bit evil and let Merlin suffer with it as punishment for consuming as much alcohol as he had. She knew if Arthur had shown signs of a hangover like that she'd have let him suffer the consequences.

"Rayna," Gwen greeted, rushing to hug Marayna, not caring about the somewhat startled looks a few passing nobles and servants were giving at the display, even more so when Marayna tightly hugged her back.

"Morgana," she smiled, moving to hug the noblewoman as well.

"I think you mean sister," Morgana whispered to her as she gave her a squeeze and let go, stepping back to look at her, "You look lovely."

"Oh, yes, thank you," Marayna glanced down at her dress.

After having put it on and seen herself in Arthur's mirror, she was even more sure that the gown had been sewn by Gwen. It was a simple gown, compare to what she saw other 'noblewomen' wearing. It was red, like many outfits found in Camelot…she expected she'd be made to wear red even more now that she was technically princess (though she supposed it would make for even more of a pleasant shock to Arthur whenever she wore his 'favorite' shade of blue)…and very fitted on the top, with a crisscrossing gold thread as the corset, the sleeves were fitted and went to her elbows, a small scrap of gold fabric creating a sort of fringe on the edge of it, a small semi-billowing sleeve effect. Her skirt flowed out but there was parted in the middle, like an upside down V, with gold fabric beneath, a dark gold that mixed well with the dark red of the dress. It was very simple and yet…seemed elegant and regal at the same time.

Gwen was a genius.

"I love it, thank you Gwen," she looked at the girl, who seemed startled for only a moment that Marayna had known before waving her off.

"It was a wedding present," she explained, "From Morgana and I. I did the sewing, Morgana bought the fabric and designed it…"

"You KNEW?" Marayna looked at Morgana shocked that the girl had seen the wedding coming and hadn't warned her or Merlin.

"No," Morgana laughed, "Rayna, we've had that dress hidden way for YEARS."

Marayna blinked, "Sorry?"

Morgana smiled, "I told you I had a dream of you as queen yes?" Marayna nodded, "For you to be queen you had to have married Arthur at one point and, even having just met you Rayna, I could tell you'd not be interested in the sorts of dresses women of the court favor. I asked Gwen to help."

Marayna nodded, that made more sense. With the way Morgana got about things like that, if she HAD had a dream more recently, Merlin would have certainly known, "Well, thank you both then. If not for you, I'd be walking around the halls in my knickers!"

She'd probably said that last part a bit too loudly given how a passing pair of ladies stopped and shot her a glare before they stuck up their noses and walked on, the three of them falling quieter at that action. It had been…mixed reactions from the court last night. After the joy of seeing their prince wed, his legacy more locked, the chance of an heir in the future (poor them, not knowing the truth) had faded…the court seemed to realize just WHO he'd married, what he'd married.

A servant.

There seemed to be a small divide between the court once they'd recalled that. A few looked at her with derision, as though she should be sleeping with the pigs instead of a prince, they saw her as just a servant, a low-born, scheming woman who was going to bring Camelot to ruin with how uneducated she was. She was more afraid of proving them right than anything (besides her magic) because she had honestly feared the same. A few more, though, seemed to be pleased that Arthur had selected her, whether it was because she made him happy or because it meant that their prince was the sort who could look past status to see the value of a person and their life, she didn't know. But she was grateful for them, for the ones who were just happy Arthur had wed and that he appeared happy with his new wife.

"Ignore them," Gwen murmured to her.

She nodded, but…she knew they'd all probably hate her when they found out she married the prince knowing she was barren. They'd look past the fact that Arthur AND Uther knew beforehand and just see HER fault in it, she knew, but…till that day came, she was just going to try her best to keep things as light as possible. Maybe one day she'd be able to prove herself to the women of the court.

~8~

Marayna was starting to grow steadily more annoyed as the day went on…the servants, the other servants, were acting so…weird. She'd smile at them and nod at them and wave at them…and they'd stare at her with wide eyes before quickly dropping into a half-curtsy/bow and then scamper off. She'd been afraid of that, that she'd start to be seen differently by the servants, by the peasants, just because she'd married Arthur. She still was the same person, she hadn't changed that much. She was still Marayna, the clumsy, mouthy girl who was as likely to slap you upside the head as to fire a sarcastic comeback. She was still her…just…with a different title and in a slightly better gown.

She really hated that because quite a few of the servants she considered to be good friends of hers and now they could hardly meet her eye. She was alarmed at how much they seemed to think she'd change, that SHE, of all people, would suddenly start to adhere to the rules and terms of propriety! It was ridiculous, it was laughable. Clearly Uther had given his blessing for this, and if UTHER, KNOWING what she was like, was allowing his son to marry her…he certainly knew what the kingdom would be getting into with her beside Arthur. Uther knew full well what she was like and that she likely wouldn't change…so why couldn't the rest of the servants see it?

It was quite the role reversal really, Uther was usually the blind one where the servants saw everything.

She jumped back suddenly as a door to Gaius's chambers opened before her just as she reached them, and Merlin stepped out, "Merlin!" she gasped, half-launching herself into his arms and hugging him tightly.

Merlin laughed at that, "Don't tell me I have to rescue you from Arthur already," he joked, squeezing her firmly before setting her down.

"Would I have to rescue you from Morgana?" she countered with a teasing smile.

"Alright, alright," he chuckled, holding up his hands in surrender, "So how's married life?"

"Weird," she said instantly, "I just…" she let out a breath, starting to walk with her brother down the halls, "I never thought…and now I…I'm just…"

Merlin reached out and took her hand, "I know," he murmured, understanding completely.

His magic had always been…more frequent and obvious than hers, even as children when they tried harder to hide it. It always snuck out of him, more 'odd' things happened around him than her. HE had been called 'demon child,' 'devil spawn,' and a plethora of other names more than she had. It had left little hope in his heart that he'd find a woman who would love him. But unlike his sister, he still had some sort of hope left…and then he'd found Morgana and…it STILL felt like a dream to him, to have someone like her love him. It was why he was both looking forward to, and dreading, marrying her. He couldn't wait to, with everything he was he wanted to take Morgana as his wife but…at the same time, there was one thing holding him back from seeing it happen or wanting to see it happen.

It, surprisingly, had nothing to do with status or magic or anything Marayna had been afraid of with Arthur, Morgana wasn't to be Queen, there was less pressure on her than Arthur so they didn't worry about his more than inferior status compared to her. No…it was more that…he knew what sort of bond marriage could form and…

"What's wrong?" Marayna stopped, putting a hand on his arm to still him and turn him to face her as well, "Merlin?"

Merlin sighed, "I…I just…marrying Morgana…"

"You're not having second thoughts are you?" she frowned, if he was…that was NOT what she expected at all.

"No!" he nearly shouted, "Not at all, I love her and I want to marry her more than anything but…"

"But what?" Merlin was quiet, "Merlin, you can tell me," she squeezed his arm, "Please, I've already been treated differently by nearly everyone, please don't do that to me too."

He sighed, "I just…worry."

"About what?"

"About us."

"Merlin you and Morgana will be happy," she tried to tell him, but he held up a hand.

"No, not Morgana and I…um…YOU and I," he admitted.

"I'm not quite sure I'm following," she said bluntly.

He ran a hand down his face at that, but he knew his own thoughts were so jumbled he couldn't blame her for not reading his mind about this, "If Morgana and I wed…she'll be my wife."

"Yes," Marayna nodded slowly, "I got that part. What's wrong about that?"

"Nothing," he continued, "It's just…a marriage to Morgana is…another step farther away from YOU. You're already Arthur's wife and..." he let out a frustrated breath, knowing that made no sense, "Aya…you had to have noticed the…distance between us lately?"

Her eyes widened slightly, more in realization than surprise, "A bit," she conceded.

He reached out and took her hand, "I just worry that, with your marriage to Arthur and, one day, my own to Morgana...that we'll look at each other and find a chasm between us. We were so close Aya, SO close and then we came to Camelot and…and we're keeping secrets from each other and arguing over overgrown lizards and…and spending more time with other people than each other, and now you're someone else's WIFE instead of just my sister," he swallowed hard, hating how he was bringing up her marriage, the thing that made her so happy last night, but...he hadn't had any time to prepare himself for the wedding and it just felt like...like Arthur was taking his sister away from him, "I miss you Aya."

Marayna's expression softened, "Murry," she used her playful nickname for him, letting him know what she was about to say would be hard to hear but that she had to say it now, "We've grown a little apart, yes," she agreed, "But…that's only because of the people around us," she smiled, "In Ealdor, we only really had each other, and mother, to look out for us. We had to rely on each other, trust each other more, because the only one who was going to protect us…was the other person, right?"

"Right…" he began slowly.

"But here, in Camelot…there are SO many people who care about us just as much as we did each other then in Ealdor," she continued, "Morgana and Gwen and Gaius and even Arthur…they love us, they'd give their lives for us. We…we haven't had many people care for us and it's only right we care for them too. We may be distant, but…it'll never be a chasm, and if it is…it'll be filled with the people that keep us connected even then, the people who love us and care about us."

"You really think it's that?" Merlin asked in a quiet voice, revealing how truly vulnerable and disheartened he'd been to think that it was them NOT caring about each other that was driving them apart. That…maybe they were losing love for each other to put towards Arthur and Morgana.

"Love is infinite Merlin," she counted his thoughts first, "You will ALWAYS be my brother, you will always be the only one who understands what it was like to grow up in Ealdor and hiding magic. You will always be my hero, my best friend, and…you will always be one of the two most important men in my life. No matter whatever distance there may be, you will ALWAYS be my brother."

Merlin smiled at that, feeling a little foolish to worry that something like them drifting apart might happen, not ever, their bond might be stretched, but it wasn't broken.

"You're one of the two most important women in my life as well Aya," he stepped closer to give her a hug, "I don't know where I'd be without you," he whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

She smiled, the two of them just standing there, hugging, her dressed as a noblewoman and him a servant as others meandered past them, and they didn't care what stares they got.

They were siblings always and forever, nothing would change that.

~8~

"I thought I might find you here," Arthur remarked as he stepped onto the battlements and made his way across them to where Marayna was standing, just looking out at Camelot, at the courtyard and market and the villagers.

"Did you?" she murmured.

"Well, when you weren't in our room waiting for me to ravish you," he joked, moving behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder, "Or in the physician's chambers, or Morgana's rooms, or the Main Hall or library or armory or stables or…"

"You really checked ALL those places?" she turned her head to look at him.

He shrugged, "I was worried about you," he admitted, "I'd been told that you refused the maid I'd sent to tend to you. Did she insult you?"

"Not her personally," she remarked, "The idea of her thought…" she sighed, almost able to feel Arthur's confusion without seeing it, "Arthur," she stepped away, turning to face him but holding his hands in hers, "I've been a servant for nearly 5 years and overnight became a princess," she shook her head, "I won't suddenly become dainty and prim, I won't faint or swoon at the sight of blood, and I'm not an invalid. I have taken care of myself all my life. I've dressed and bathed and done everything on my own. I really…would prefer NOT to have a maid."

Arthur nodded through that, listening, taking stock of her words, but he frowned at the last part, "I just wanted to give you someone to help take care of you."

"Here's a thought," she smirked, "YOU do it."

"What?" he started laughing, "We already tried that experiment of me being a servant and…"

"No," she cut in gently, "I mean…instead of a maid helping lace up my dress or take it off…why don't YOU do it. We are married now Arthur, we are…a partnership. You can't just leave responsibilities that goes with it to other people. You take care of me…and I'll take care of you."

"Instead of Merlin?" Arthur guessed.

"I'd also like to talk to you about him, but first…what do you think about my idea?" she waited a moment, letting him ponder it, "If it helps, I'd love the chance to be the only one who gets to rip a shirt off you at the end of the day and…"

"I think…" this time ARTHUR cut in, "I think that is a wonderful idea," he smiled at her, touching her cheek, "I…I don't actually trust anyone else but Merlin to take care of you and treat you the way you deserve."

"And how's that?" she smiled wider.

"Like a princess," he whispered, leaning into kiss her.

Marayna reached out to touch his cheek, holding him there and pulling him back in when he paused for breath, the longer she could keep him kissing, the more easy he'd be to persuade that a certain servant ought to at least be a lord.

After all, wasn't it weird that one woman was a princess, and her brother was a servant? It made no sense and, if Uther wanted to pass her off as a noblewoman, as she guessed he might given the lessons from Morgana...it would raise too many questions to introduce the prince's manservant as her brother. With her new arrangement with Arthur, she could handle the waking and dressing him and tending to him in other ways...he really didn't need a personal manservant any more than she needed a personal maidservant. Not to mention...her brother was special, she wouldn't mind if he had an extra little title too. Apparently she wasn't going to marry KING Arthur as she'd originally thought.

If she had the title of 'Princess,' well, it was only fair her brother also have another title. And, if this little kissing moment didn't work to convince him...well, she was rather determined to see her 'wedding night' happen and she was quite sure she could convince Arthur to agree to what she wanted after she'd seen to that. No matter what though, she _would_ see her brother's status elevated.

Lord Merlin had a nice ring to it.

A/N: I'm SO glad you guys enjoyed the last chapter :) I'm really glad I could surprise you with the wedding ^-^ I literally squealed and did a happy dance when I opened my reviews to do the notes and saw how much you guys enjoyed it :') We got a little more here about the reactions of others to the wedding, there'll be bits of it popping up in future chapters as well and...we'll also find out if Marayna's successful in getting Merlin another title of his own :)

Also, to anyone who's interested, I'll be posting a new Doctor Who series in a few minutes, Losing Hope ;) It starts in Series 4 with the Sontarans and features a rather...angry and bitter Time Lady }:)

Some notes on reviews...

I noticed the full name yup ;) I feel the same, lol, I'll be writing and go 'Mara walked to the table' and be like, that's not Arthur's POV, backspace lol :)

Oh Uther, if he ever finds out about the magic, I almost don't want to even try to imagine his reaction O.O

Yup, Elena and Godwyn knew about the test ;) I think a few nobles probably were shippers, just very good about not letting on about it :) I can say that Uther will find out about the engagement of Merlin and Morgana, but I won't say when, so I can't say if he'll do the same for Morgana }:) And thanks! I'm really glad you're enjoying it so far ^-^

Lol, no wedding night chapter, sorry! I tend to stay away from lemons/limes/intimate scenes like that. Even though they're fictional characters, I feel like moments like that are meant to be private and behind closed doors. I wouldn't want someone writing about me doing something like that for the world to see, I don't think Marayna would want people to know either :)

I can say that the twist with Morgana being good and Morgause won't involve Urry, but we WILL see him again ;)

Yup, Merlin was the one who was worried. I feel like, being her big brother, being so close to her and having the bond they do, for the marriage to be sprung so quickly, with so little time to prepare for it, it would hit him harder, the happiness and the pain, like...his sister's being taken away from him, she's not just his sister anymore but Arthur's wife :(

I was debating putting Hunith and Mordred in, but I feel like Uther wouldn't be able to get her there in time and to ask her to Camelot only for it not to happen would be a waste to him :( That and Mordred can't enter Camelot without being executed and Hunith has sort of taken to him and, I think, would want to protect him from Uther. But Marayna is determined to do a little Ealdor wedding to make up for that ;) As for Marayna's servant...gotta love Artie ;)

I think the Hope is a lovely name, I'm not quite sure it fits as a sort of title, but then again, the Angel lol ;)


	12. The Castle of Fyrien

The Castle of Fyrien

"Rise and shine!" Marayna laughed as she shook Arthur awake.

Arthur groaned and rolled over, trying to bury his face under his pillows, though all it served to do was make Marayna laugh harder and him grin for managing to do that. It seemed that, forcing her and Merlin awake at the crack of dawn for years on end had made Marayna naturally awaken at that time…and then force him awake as well. Revenge, she said, for him never letting them have a lie in. It was...an odd manner in which to wake, one he was still getting used to. He was so used to her or Merlin bumbling in, throwing the curtains open, rousing him in the most irritating ways...but that wasn't what happened anymore. They'd tried Marayna's thought of 'taking care of each other,' really he thought her whole excuse and arguing for Merlin to be named a minor lord (at the very least) was just to get him out of servant duties. But...he could admit he rather liked the small routine they'd fallen into. There was something remarkably intimate about waking each other and taking the morning to help each other prepare, something so...deep about the simple act of dressing each other that wasn't the same as when he'd dress himself or force Merlin to do it. But he'd found that he didn't manservant any longer, in the mornings at least, and he was...VERY glad that there wouldn't be any male servant coming to the room at the wee hours of the morning to help him ready for the day, especially given the state he and Marayna were usually in after certain...nighttime activities.

"Can't you think of a better way to wake me?" he asked her softly, though there was a teasing note in his voice, reaching out to tuck a lock of her mussed hair behind her ears.

She smirked, "Oh I can think of quite a few," she scooted closer to him, something he hadn't thought possible given how close she already was to him, "How about...shake a leg?" she asked, her hand trailing up his leg, squeezing his calf, "Up," before she massaged his inner thigh, "And at 'em?" her hand ghosting over a very sensitive area, making him groan, before it lightly rested on his chest, "Let's have you lazy daisy..." she traced a small circle over his heart, "No?" her smirk widened, "You don't like _any_ of them? Hmmm…" she eyed him, "How about this then," she leaned in and kissed him deeply, pulling slightly away every time he tried to deepen it, forcing him up and up till he was sitting, the sheets falling around his waist, revealing his bare chest, "Oh look," she smiled, "You're, uh…" she glanced down playfully, her eyes flickering back to his own, "_Up_."

She chuckled lightly as she got out of the bed, sans clothes, and walked to the wardrobe to select her outfit for the day, Gwen having taken to helping provide her, little by little, with more gowns much like the one she'd work after her wedding, in her simple (yet forcibly regal) style, winking at him as she moved behind the changing screen and disappearing from his view.

Arthur flopped back on the bed, his heart racing, his wife would be the death of him he was sure of it.

~8~

Marayna knew something was wrong given how on edge Merlin appeared to be as he sat at the table that morning for breakfast.

She had taken her case and pleas before Uther and Arthur, explaining how it would be unbefitting for Merlin to be treated as a servant given that his sister was the princess of Camelot, and the two royals had been forced to agree. And so, in a very private, small, and simple ceremony (just like the siblings preferred), Merlin HAD been made a lord! A minor lord, Uther could only be swayed so much, but it was a vast improvement from being a servant. While he wasn't Arthur's 'manservant' anymore, he'd more taken on a sort of...companionary role with Arthur. He still maintained most of his duties, though they were mostly the ones that focused on accompanying Arthur, like...a friend who tended to have to pick up after him at times. Merlin wouldn't be forced to wake at dawn and dress Arthur in the mornings or fetch his breakfast or make his bed, Marayna was quite pleased to do that, nor would he be forced to muck out the stables. But he _did_ still tend to the Prince's armor, his horse, accompany him on missions and quests, and a few smaller things that most minor lords tended to do for their sovereigns. But Merlin was allowed more freedom and familiarity in court than he'd had before. He was HEARD now, without the law to defend servants in his corner, he could speak back (within reason) to other nobles without fear of being thrown in the dungeons, he was given a bit more in 'wages' and his clothes were only slightly better in material, yet he still maintained his classic look, with his colored shirts and neckerchief.

One rather...odd aspect, or more an aspect that made Merlin feel truly awkward, was that he was allowed to sit at the table and dine with the king, his ward, his son and 'daughter-in-law' now.

Marayna knew her brother wasn't quite so comfortable around Uther, didn't feel that familiar with the man to be able to break bread with him, neither was she if she had to be honest. They both knew that the man would turn on them in a heartbeat if he learned they had magic. And they couldn't bear to have Morgana and Arthur suffer that fate.

'_What is it?_' she asked him silently as she sat across from him. She and Merlin usually sat at the end of the table, beside Arthur and Morgana, who sat on either side of Uther while he was at the head though Morgana wasn't there yet.

'_Gwen never came to tend to Morgana this morning,_' he told her. It wouldn't be so bad but...Gwen knew about his and Morgana's relationship, she usually managed to help sneak him out of Morgana's room before the other servants reached her hall, waking up earlier to get there in time to wake them, bless her heart. That hadn't been the case this time. And it worried them more that Gwen, faithful Gwen, hadn't shown, than that he'd almost gotten caught.

Before she could remark on that, Morgana entered, looking just as worried as Merlin though Uther didn't notice as he was talking to Arthur, "The building works in the Lower Town have been delayed. I want you to ensure it doesn't happen again."

"I'll see to it," Arthur nodded.

"Good morning, Morgana," Uther smiled at her, watching, just a bit...wary, as Merlin practically leapt up to pull Morgana's seat out for her, his ward smiling at the former servant as she sat, unsure if the boy's actions were a sign of nerves to be dining with him or a sign of affection for his ward. But, speaking of his ward, he finally noticed her tense smile, "Anything the matter?"

"It's Gwen," she said immediately, "She didn't turn up for work this morning."

"That's not like her," Arthur remarked.

"I know, it's strange. I hope nothing's wrong."

"You needn't worry, Morgana," Uther shook his head, "After all, if your maid can no longer be relied upon, we can easily replace her."

"I'm sure she'll turn up soon enough," Arthur said, seeing Morgana's frantic look at that.

"I'm sure she will," Marayna reached across the table to touch her hand. Arthur likely thought that it was just the friendship between Morgana and Gwen that had the noblewoman so frantic...and it was, it was a VERY large part of it...but it was also...Gwen was her confidant. Gwen was the only non-magic user in Camelot who knew about their magic, who Morgana could trust to practice her scrying around, to talk about her fears of magic and Uther, someone who offered a new perspective and just...someone she trusted. For Uther to talk so causally about replacing her alarmed them all.

Morgana smiled and squeezed it before putting it on her lap, Merlin subtly taking it under the table.

~8~

"Aya," Merlin caught up to his sister in the hall, "I'm going to go to Gwen's house and find out what's wrong," he told her, "Can you keep an eye on Arthur?"

She knew what that meant, see to his 'duties' while he was off, they weren't allowed to call them 'chores' anymore as Lords, even minor ones, did not do chores, but merely...attended to duties. She nodded, of course she would. Just because she was a princess in title did NOT mean she was a princess at heart by_ any_ stretch of the imagination. She just…had to act the part around Uther. She was just as content polishing armor and scrubbing a floor as she always had been.

"Thanks Aya," he leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"Of course," she told him, "Gwen's my friend too and I can only imagine how worried Morgana is."

He nodded and dashed off, Marayna nodding her head and rolling up her sleeves as she headed for the armory to fetch Arthur's armor and trying her best to remember not to smirk when she got the odd looks from servant and noble alike when they would see her carrying and polishing the armor just as she'd always done. She'd started to keep tabs on people, their reactions to the 'chores' she did at times, just to see how long it would take for them to realize...she really WAS just a servant in a pretty gown...who just happened to be married to the Crown Prince.

~8~

Not even an hour later Merlin returned, but to Morgana's chambers where he knew his sister and she were, "What's that?" Marayna asked, spotting a cloth in his hand.

"I found it at Gwen's," he told them, moving over to them, "Smell it."

"No thanks," Morgana crinkled her nose, able to smell something even from there.

"Aya?" he held it to her.

She reached out and took it, knowing there was a reason for it, and sniffed it deeply, only to pass out in her chair a second after, Merlin lunging forward to catch her so she wouldn't fall off it.

"Oh my God!" Morgana flew out of her own chair to kneel before Marayna as she started to come to, "Rayna, are you alright?"

"What the bloody hell is that?" she mumbled, Morgana smiling lightly at her language, most certainly NOT befitting a princess, but amusing nonetheless.

"Hogswart and phylarian," Morgana sniffed it lightly, making sure to be very careful about it, "Gaius told me about it, it's used to put patients that need operations or…heavy healing…asleep."

"You don't think…" Marayna began, stiffening, looking up at her brother in alarm.

Merlin nodded, "It was in Gwen's."

And that could only mean one thing...Gwen had been kidnapped.

~8~

They had, of course, told Arthur what happened and presented the evidence, which was why he was now standing before the court that had been called, standing on either side of Arthur as he gave his report/request to the king, "The guards saw her leave the palace at the usual time. After that, nothing."

"Why are you telling me this?" Uther shook his head, genuinely seeming confused and rather...unconcerned...with what his son was prattling on about.

"Sire, I have reason to believe that Guinevere has been kidnapped."

"Kidnapped?"

Arthur nodded, glancing at Morgana as she sat on her small throne beside and a little behind Uther's, knowing how important Gwen was to her, "I'd like to organize a search party."

"I hardly think that would be appropriate," Uther scoffed.

"Father?" Arthur frowned.

"She's just a serving girl."

"With all due respect, your majesty," Marayna stepped up, her tone implying that she really didn't care if her words sounded respectful or not, "But_ I_ was 'just a serving girl' and, by that logic, my life is no more important than hers is, is it?"

Uther was cornered there, to say no meant he_ had_ to send them out to rescue Gwen as he would be implying the girl was equally as important as the princess of Camelot. To say yes meant he did not consider her life worth more than Gwen's nor did he consider her a true princess, which would cause all sorts of trouble in the future.

"Sire," Merlin added hesitantly, taking a small step up as well, still not used to actually having a say, "She's the maid to the King's ward, perhaps, whoever took her wanted information?"

Uther stiffened at that, relieved he had an out and a bit surprised he hadn't thought of that himself, why else would someone take a servant? That made sense, "Very well. Send a squad of guards to search the Lower Town."

"And the countryside?" Arthur asked.

Uther considered it, "They have until nightfall."

"Father," Arthur frowned, "I'm not sure I can achieve..."

"Arthur, I have a kingdom to protect. I cannot waste precious resources on a _servant_," he looked at Marayna meaningfully, reminding her that she was NOT a servant any longer.

~8~

Arthur had been very downcast when, after last night, he and the knights hadn't turned up anything on Gwen, and he knew his father, no matter what, wouldn't let him expand the search the next morning…which was why it was such a shock when Gwen woke Merlin and Morgana the next morning, Merlin having fallen asleep comforting Morgana as she fretted about her friend. She'd tried to scry for Gwen, but she'd been so worried she couldn't seem to focus and the images in her crystal weren't clear.

"Gwen!" Morgana gasped, practically flying out of bed to hug her friend, "Where have you been?"

"Are you alright?" Merlin asked, getting up as well to look her over.

"I'm sorry," Gwen smiled hesitantly, tensely, "I was...unwell."

Merlin and Morgana exchanged a look, clearly not believing her but knowing not to press her. So Morgana turned to her, "Are you better now?"

"Much better, thank you."

"Well, don't tire yourself out. Whatever you need to do, I'm sure it can wait."

Gwen nodded and went about her duties.

'_Keep an eye on her?_' Morgan asked Merlin silently.

He nodded, knowing that his role as a partial 'servant' would still earn him access to their corridors and passageways, time to talk to Gwen in private.

~8~

Merlin had waited all morning for his chance, finally managing to 'bump' into Gwen in the process of walking down a corridor, making her drop the laundry she'd been carrying, "Sorry!" he called, moving to help her. He looked at her closely before leaning into, "I went to your house, Gwen, you weren't there."

"Oh," she stuttered, caught, "No, erm...I, er...was just..."

He frowned, spotting bruises on her wrists, peeking out of her sleeve as she tried to gather the cloth she'd dropped, "Who did that to you?"

"No one," she said quickly, too quickly, "It was an accident!"

"Gwen," he reached out and placed a hand on her arm, "Look at me."

"It's fine. I'm fine," but her lip trembled and soon enough she started crying, Merlin gathering her in his arms and hugging her tightly, sending out a mental call to his sister for help.

~8~

They sat in Morgana's rooms, Marayna there as well as Gwen told them what happened, how she'd been captured and led to Cenred, how her brother had been held captive as well and would remain a prisoner unless she returned…with Arthur. Apparently Cenred and Morgause knew Gwen's friendship with not just Morgana, but Marayna and Arthur and Merlin as well and assumed that the shared friendship would bait Arthur to come rescue her brother. He would never want to disappoint his sister and wife by allowing harm to come to their friend. And they also knew that, keeping Gwen's brother prisoner and at her mercy, Morgause was insuring the three magic users couldn't interfere.

"What I don't understand is how they knew," Gwen muttered.

"About what?" Merlin looked at her.

"About how close we all are," she said.

"Gwen," Marayna reached out to touch her hand, "It's no secret Arthur would gladly give his life for his people. Anyone could have been taken, it's...it's OUR fault she took Elyan," Marayna sighed, "She's probably done it to keep US from doing anything."

"But you're back home, safe with your friends," Morgana put an arm around her, "You don't have to face this alone."

"Yes I do," Gwen shook her head, "This is_ my_ problem. I can't involve Arthur. I won't."

"Then we won't," Marayna nodded, "IF you don't want to Gwen, then we won't."

Gwen was quiet a moment, "He's got my brother."

Merlin nodded, "Then we make sure Arthur is well aware of the trap so we can set one of our own."

Morgana smiled at her beau, kissing his cheek, "Brilliant."

~8~

"The Castle of Fyrien," Arthur nodded as he stood in Morgana's rooms, Gwen recounting what she remembered of the castle she'd been held in, "I'm sure of it."

"Never even heard of it," Merlin shook his head.

"Fyrien was a merchant," Morgana recalled, now recognizing the castle as well.

Arthur nodded, "He built a castle on the sea of Marador as an outpost for trade routes to the east, but when war broke out with Caerleon, the trade dried up. The castle was abandoned."

"Is it in ruins?" Marayna frowned.

"No. It was built to withstand anything. For Cenred, it's the perfect hideout."

"Doesn't sound like an easy place to get into," Merlin sighed, though he smirked at Morgana and Marayna, not easy for those without magic that is. They were NOT about to sit aside and let Morgause keep Elyan, they...just had to be careful how they proceeded.

"It isn't," Arthur agreed, "It will be well defended."

"I'm sorry," Gwen sighed, "I shouldn't've brought this to you."

"You did the right thing. Your brother will come to no harm, I promise."

"How can you be so sure?" Gwen looked at him, scarcely daring to hope.

"Because we're going to rescue him," Arthur determined.

"We?" Marayna challenged him, standing with her arms crossed, waiting to see just who the 'we' would be.

He smiled, seeing her determination, "The five of us."

She smiled as well and ran to him, putting her arms around him as she hugged him close, "Right answer."

"Cenred wants you dead," Gwen reminded him, "That's why he's doing this."

"I know," he nodded, "Cenred's wanted Camelot's throne for as long as I can remember. Which is why there is strength in numbers."

The group grinned at each other, their hope for a safe return for Elyan growing with every second they planned.

~8~

"You ready Gana?" Merlin asked Morgana as he stood before the small quartz crystal that she'd kept well hidden in a drawer, only to be placed before her in her rooms for times like this and for practice in scrying.

She nodded, leaning over to stare into the crystal, concentrating and...slowly...an image appeared in it, of Morgause speaking to Cenred as they stood in a castle room.

"Is everything in place?" Cenred was asking her.

Morgause smiled, "Arthur's taken the bait."

Morgana gasped, "She's been watching us as well," she told Merlin.

"So he means to rescue her brother?" Cenred inquired.

"Just as we thought," Morgause smirked "There is nothing he would not do for his people."

"Excellent. And he comes alone, I take it?"

Morgana held her breath, watching the emotions on Morgause's face carefully, seeing her seeming unsure, she hadn't seen THAT far or that much it appeared, "Uther would never sanction an army for such a task," Morgause determined, "He rides with just the servants, his bastard bride, and…"

"Your traitorous sister," Cenred laughed, seeing the ire in Morgause's eyes at his mention of Morgana herself.

"He is as good as ours," Morgause determined.

"Is he?" Cenred leaned forward, "You taught Morgana yourself."

"She refused to listen half the time," she spat, "I know now why. She will not be a match against me."

Morgana's eyes narrowed, she'd see about that. Just because she didn't appear to be listening, didn't mean she wasn't. Morgause had taught her many things, most of it dark, but for every dark spell she could recognize the foundations that good magic used as well. She would guess she knew more than Morgause thought she did.

"And once he is dead?" Cenred continued.

Morgause smiled, "Then Uther will only have one child left, and when the time is right, we will force Morgana on the throne and Camelot will be ours."

"And how do you intend to get her to cooperate?" Cenred's smirk widened, seeming to enjoy irritating Morgause, "Last I saw, she hated you."

Morgause glowered, "I have my ways."

Morgana pulled away with a gasp, turning to hug Merlin, afraid of what Morgause would do to see her under the woman's control…she could only think of one thing that would truly make her follow, Merlin…

Morgause was going to hurt Merlin.

~8~

Luckily, Morgana and Arthur came up with a story for Uther to get Arthur out of the castle for a few days, something about a bet and cloth for dresses that Morgana won as a wager. Uther had chuckled at that and given them both his blessing to head out and find the won fabrics. Apparently he thought the dresses she planned to have made were for Morgana and Marayna, that Gwen would be making them, and so they had to go as well with him to find fabrics they liked, Merlin going too, accompanying the prince and princess.

"Morgana are you certain?" Gaius asked as the four of them gathered in the physician's chambers that night.

She nodded, "Morgause has been watching us like I have her," she told him, "I don't know how much she's seen…"

"What if she's watching us now?" Gwen gasped.

"She can't," Merlin told her.

"I warded the chambers against scrying," Marayna told them.

"That's it!" Gaius cheered, "Marayna do you remember the protective amulet you made me," he held it up, showing her he still wore it.

"Yes…" she said slowly.

Merlin though caught on, "What if we make the same, but protected against scrying, it'll make us invisible to her!"

"That's perfect!" Morgana cheered, "It could be something small, like a necklace or a scrap of fabric or something."

"Something no one would notice, like your neckerchief Merlin," Gwen pointed out.

Marayna nodded, "I'll get on it," she ran to their old rooms and took out the spell book to begin.

~8~

Success!

Marayna was brilliant at warding it seemed, or at least laying the foundation, Merlin was the best at reinforcing the charm so that it really was like a protective amulet. She'd managed to charm a handkerchief of Gwen's, Merlin's neckerchief, a ring Morgana always wore, and the necklace Arthur had given her, as well as managed to get her hand on Arthur's wedding ring, which he only took off for training with the knights, so that he wouldn't be caught unawares either.

And so they were off the next morning, feeling much better prepared and in higher spirits as they trotted through the woods with Arthur.

"I used to be afraid of these woods," Arthur remarked absently to Marayna as they took the lead, Morgana and Merlin behind them, Gwen coming up last.

Marayna scoffed, "Did you just admit to being afraid?"

He looked at her, "I'm afraid of only a few things," he determined, looking at her meaningfully, a concern in his eyes that let her know he feared for her safety.

"Me too," she reached out to take his hand, squeezing it, the same look in her eye, "So go on, what's got you all shakey about trees?"

Arthur chuckled at that, "My father would bring me here when I was a boy, and it seemed every falling leaf was a bandit, every puff of wind was a ghost."

"It's probably not so bad once you get used to it though," Marayna remarked.

Arthur looked at her tenderly, all too reminded of her time as a servant and all the things she'd gotten used to during that time, "You don't have to anymore," he whispered, squeezing her hand, "You've got me now."

She smiled back at him, "And you've got me."

"And us!" Merlin cheered from behind them, reminding Arthur they weren't alone.

"I've got your back too," Morgana smiled.

"And Gwen, you'll look after Merlin, won't you?" Arthur teased as Gwen laughed for the first time in a while.

~8~

That night they made camp, Gwen tending to the horses while Merlin and Arthur offered to get firewood, leaving the girls along e moment.

"Gwen, please," Morgana called, seeing her trying to ready the packs, "Sit for a moment. You're wearing me out just watching you."

"It's good to keep busy," Gwen shook her head, "Stops me thinking too much."

"Because you're worried about Elyan?" Marayna guessed, "I know the feeling."

"I'm always worried about Elyan," she sighed, sitting.

"Yup, definitely know the feeling," she reached out to take Gwen's hand as did Morgana.

"He's just one of those people, never settled down, never _thinks_ about the future, just follows his heart wherever it leads him."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Morgana smiled.

"Well, it wouldn't be," Gwen agreed, "Except he always manages to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Can't exactly blame him this time," Marayna nudged her.

"No," Gwen agreed, "But even if I could, I'd still be there for him."

"It's what you do when you love someone," Morgana shrugged.

Gwen smiled and nodded, looking at them with tears in her eyes, these women, they weren't just her friends but her family, "If anything happens to you, I won't forgive myself."

"Don't worry about us," Marayna smirked, glancing the fire pit as her eyes glowed, lighting it.

"We just need to worry about protecting YOU," Morgana nodded.

Gwen smiled, just as the boys returned with more wood.

~8~

"Cenred's chosen his hideout well," Arthur remarked as they sat around the fire, eating what Merlin, Marayna, and Gwen had prepared for dinner, "Now, the Castle of Fyrien backs onto the sea, we will be vastly outnumbered, and his lookouts will spot us well before we've reached the gates. So, we can't go that way."

"Is there no other way?" Morgana frowned.

"Yes, there is," Arthur smirked, "When Caerleon was defeated by my father at the Battle of Danaria, he retreated to the Castle of Fyrien and it seemed a victory would be denied us, but my father knew of a secret labyrinth beneath the castle."

"A labyrinth?" Gwen shook her head, not liking the sound of that, especially not one beneath a castle, that was just asking for trouble.

"Fyrien was greedy. So, to avoid Camelot's levies, he dug tunnels from the castle to the sea. That way he could smuggle goods into the kingdom without anyone knowing."

"Let me guess, Uther ambushed him in the tunnels?" Marayna guessed.

"He never saw us coming," Arthur nodded.

"And neither will Cenred," Merlin realized as they all smiled, this...just might work!

~8~

Morgana was hesitant as they reached the shoreline of the castle, she just couldn't help the sense of unease about the secret entrance Arthur had spoken of. At first she'd been thrilled but...the closer they got to it, the more apprehensive she felt about it, "Are you _sure_ we shouldn't try to sneak into the castle itself?" she asked as they stared at it the next morning.

"No," Arthur shook his head, "The tunnels are a better bet. That way the element of surprise is guaranteed."

"But…"

"What?"

Morgana sighed, "If YOU knew about the tunnels because of the battle fought here…"

"What's to stop Cenred from knowing as well," Marayna realized.

"What if it's a trap?" Gwen frowned, thinking on that as well, oh they knew it was but...to know that Morgause might be prepared for just such a surprise attack was alarming, "What if he means for you to think the tunnels are unknown to him?"

"I'm willing to bet my life he doesn't know about them," Arthur smirked, heading on.

Merlin looked the women, all of them shaking their heads. This _never_ ended well when Arthur was confident and cocky about something.

"Here we are," Arthur led them to the entrance, "Stay close."

They wandered in, Merlin running into thick cobwebs, "Blech, augh!"

"Stop worrying about your hair, Merlin."

"Oi!" Marayna whacked him as he came to look at Merlin, her trying to help him get the webs out of his hair, "Leave my brother alone!"

"It's a good sign," Arthur had to concede, "Means that no one's been down here."

Gwen tried to get some cobwebs off an entrance way when a skeleton popped out at her, making her scream. They all ran to her side, torches lit, to reveal armed skeletons littering the ground.

"Caerleon's last stand?" Marayna guessed.

Arthur sighed, "Stick together, everyone. We need to keep moving…" he tailed off, hearing footsteps approach, "Quiet. Quick, this way," he led them to another tunnel, but more footsteps sounded from there as well, "We're trapped."

"How did they know we were here?" Merlin asked.

"It was probably my scream," Gwen closed her eyes, "I'm sorry."

They turned, hearing men behind them, and began to fight as Cenred's men swarmed. All it took was for one of them to grab Marayna and put a dagger to her throat for Arthur to instantly throw down his sword to protect her. The guard shoved her off, into Arthur's arms, before they cathere and dragged the five of them off into the castle, to the throne room where Cenred sat upon the throne.

"Well, well, Arthur Pendragon. How kind of you to pay me a visit," he chuckled, "As though I wouldn't know every inch of my castle," he shook his head, tsking as he stood, "And look, you brought some friends with you. Oh," he stepped closer, examining them, "The Lady Morgana, and the Peasant Princess no less."

"Don't so much as breathe on me, you pig," Morgana glared at him as he got a little too close to her.

"Well, the more the merrier, I say," he chuckled.

"_I'm_ the one you want, Cenred," Arthur glared, seeing the man moving onto Marayna and NOT about to let that happen, "Let them go."

"You're right," Cenred sighed, "That would only be fair. But fair's for fools. Take them away!"

"I won't let you harm them! They're innocent!" Arthur struggled as the guards pulled them back.

"Innocent? No friend of Camelot is innocent!" Cenred glared as the doors shut, the five of them led out.

~8~

Arthur and Merlin were stuck in a prison cell, across from Morgana and Marayna, Gwen having been taken off down the way to where her brother must have been.

"I don't understand why we're not dead already," Merlin remarked.

"Because Cenred will want to torture me first," Arthur deadpanned, "Find out what I know."

"Aren't you afraid?" Merlin eyed him.

"No. Not in the slightest."

"Sorry, I don't understand," Merlin shook his head with a frown, "How, how can you not be afraid of pain?"

"I_ am_ afraid of pain, Merlin, but...not my own," he said, his gaze on Marayna as it had been since they were thrown into the cells.

Merlin smiled at that.

"Lucky for you," Marayna remarked as her and Morgana listened in, "There's not going to be any."

Arthur grinned, "Because we are going to escape from this filthy cell and rescue the others."

"You have a plan?" Morgana looked at him.

"Not as such."

"Great," Marayna sighed, "Leave it to the women then."

"Now, Mara..." Arthur began.

"Tut tut," Marayna cut in, smirking, "We're discussing the plan Artie," she smirked, gesturing between her and Morgana, "Give us two minutes."

~8~

"Help!" Merlin shouted, "Quick!" he pointed on the bars till a guard moved over, "The Prince is ill," he gestured at Arthur, who lay face down on the ground by the back wall, "I'm so sorry. I...I wish I knew what it was, but I..."

The guard ran in, knowing that the boy_ had_ to be alive to be useful. He ran to Arthur's side, only for Arthur to roll over, grab his arm and punch him in the face, knocking him out.

"Well?" Marayna called with a smirk.

Arthur just grabbed the keys off the guard and ran across the hall to her cell, unlocking it and pulling her into his arms, "My wife is a genius."

"My husband's not too dim either if he realizes that," she smirked, kissing him quickly, pulling away to see Merlin and Morgana hugging before they ran down the hall, peeking around the corner to where Gwen and her brother, Elyan's, cell was.

"Any ideas for this?" Arthur asked the girls, nodding at the locked cell and the guard watching it, slowly making his rounds.

"Just this one," Morgana smiled, pushing him out around the corner.

"Hello again," Arthur called as the guard spotted him, rushing to him and fighting him.

Arthur did his best but ended up pinned against a wall, "I'm going to enjoy this," the guard sneered, readying a final attack…only to keel over, face first.

Arthur looked up to see Morgana behind the man with an unlit torch in her hand, having knocked the man out…with a lump of wood basically. He grabbed the man's keys and they ran to Gwen's cell, "Gwen!" Morgana cheered, "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Gwen stood, running to hug her lady the moment the cell was opened.

"We need to get out of here," Marayna remarked.

They nodded and turned to run, hearing, "I think they went that way!" from the guards behind them, their cells discovered.

"Gwen, Elyan," Marayna turned to them, "You both need to get out to the horses and go back to Camelot…"

"We can't just leave you!" Gwen called.

"So that Uther will send an army," Marayna reminded her, not even acting like housewvies were typicallly portrayed as."

"But…"

"Go!" Morgana shouted, cutting in, ushering Gwen off, the girl knowing that it would be easier for them to use magic around and protect 1 person than 3, and so she took her brother's hand and ran.

They split up, the four of them rushing off, leading the guards so the Gwen and Elyan would be safe. Unfortunately, their running led them straight to the throne room, where Cenred was waiting.

As soon as they were into the room, they were blasted back by Morgause, the guards rushing straight for Marayna, knowing she would be the one to target to truly control the men, and dragging her over to Cenred who pulled his sword on her, holding it at her neck as Arthur jumped to his feet, "That's close enough!" Cenred snarled at Arthur as the man stopped, seeing his wife in danger.

"Let go of me!" Marayna struggled, not seeming afraid at all. And why would she be? Worst case...she used her magic, but she was in no true danger at the moment. She knew Morgause wouldn't risk killing her and losing her leverage against Arthur and Merlin.

"One more step and she dies."

"You're a coward, Cenred," Arthur glared, "You always were."

"Ha ha. It's cowards that survive, Arthur. Now put down your sword."

"Do as he says," Morgause smirked, seeing Morgana step closer to Merlin, "Surprised?"

"Hardly," Morgana glared, "I know what you're capable of."

"Oh, you have no idea," Morgause sneered, summoning a pillar of fire and pushing it at Arthur.

Merlin looked over and caught his sister's eye as she nodded, murmuring a spell of her own. Merlin took Morgana's hand, the two of them casting their own spell…the fire exploded before it hit Arthur, blowing everyone back at the same time the ceiling above Cenred and Morgause collapsed, thoroughly distracting them. Oh the wonders of magic.

"Mara!" Arthur yelled, dashing towards it, fearing the worst.

"Over here!" Marayna called, having managed to transport herself to the side of the room, making it look, to Arthur, that she had used the distraction to pull away from the guards and jump away.

"Oh thank god," he gathered her in his arms only a moment, "Come on!" he pulled her up and they ran out of the room with Merlin and Morgana.

~8~

They slowly made their way to the woods, careful that they left no trail, well the magical ones were, Arthur was too preoccupied with checking Marayna over than to worry about that so Merlin and Morgana took care of it. They stopped though when they spotted Gwen and Elyan waiting by the horses.

"I thought I told you to get back to Camelot," Marayna laughed, moving to hug Gwen, "You're disobeying your princess."

"You might be a princess," Gwen hugged her back, "But YOU don't even listen to you."

"Touché."

"Gwen," Morgana moved to hug her.

Just then Cenred's men jumped out of the bush and attacked, having followed Gwen and Elyan, but Elyan and Arthur took quick care of them.

"Not bad," Arthur looked at Elyan as he killed the last man.

"Well, practice makes perfect, I guess," Elyan smirked, his father HAD been a blacksmith, what else was there to do in his spare time but play with the weapons he'd made?

~8~

Later that day, in Arthur's chambers, he was smiling down at Marayna as she napped on their bed, it had been quite the experience hadn't it? He sat on the edge of the bed and brushed a lock of hair from her face when someone knocked at the door. He got up quickly and moved to open it, seeing Gwen there. He let her in but motioned for her to be quiet.

She simply held out a lovely, light blue dress to him, "What's that?" he asked.

"A silk dress," she told him quietly, "Morgana has the other, in case your father asks any questions. Morgana had fabric bought just in case."

"How's Elyan settling in?"

"Really well," she smiled, clearly pleased to have her brother back, "He's got the forge up and running and a place to live. He really appreciates all the help you've given him."

He nodded, glancing back at Marayna as she stirred bit but slept on, "Was there anything else?" he asked, eager to get back to his wife.

"I just wanted to say thank you for bringing my brother back. It means more to me than I can say."

"I can empathize," he admitted, "Since meeting Mara…Merlin, he's…" he struggled to find the words, to actually SAY it...

Gwen smiled, "Become like a brother to you?"

He nodded, "And if anything happened to him, I'd do all I could to save him...for Mara of course," he added quickly.

"Of course," she laughed.

"I would have to do the same for you, Gwen," she smiled as he used her nickname, he often called her Guinevere as he was just formal with everyone...except Marayna, now that she thought about it. She was the only one he'd ever given and used a nickname with, "You've always been there, as long as I can remember, you're as much my sister as Morgana is."

"I'm pleased," she nodded, "You've always reminded me of Elyan you know."

"I'm glad," he nodded as she turned an left. He smiled, moving to the bed and lying down, pulling Marayna into his arms as he settled.

"I'm so telling Merlin that," she murmured lightly, having woken at the knock and eavesdropped.

Arthur just laughed and held her closer, the two of them drifting off together.

A/N: Aww, Arthur thinks of Merlin as a brother :') Lol, little bit of innuendo in the beginning ;) I wonder what Captain Jack would say }:)

Some notes on reviews...

It would be amazing if Marayna could have a child :') But Uther's definitely got a back up in Morgana, which actually is almost sort of like if Arthur and Marayna could have a child...a child of Uther and a child of Hunith/Balinor coming together to have a baby...with Morgana and Arthur being one side and Merlin and Marayna being the other :) I JUST realized that lol :) It could happen, but I can say here Gaius is right, the baby wouldn't survive the early moments of conception :(

True, and Hope would be a very good thing to have when paired with the Doctor :)

Oh Family and equality between siblings will be a BIG theme with Marayna ;) We'll see more of that coming into play more around Series 4, but it starts here :)

Lol, I honestly didn't even realize I'd used Marian (like in Robin Hood and with Leena) till like an hour after I posted the chapter :) I love it when that happens though :)


	13. Discovered

Discovered

Marayna's face scrunched as she slowly woke, blinking a bit and squinting when she realized…there was sunlight streaming into the bedroom. She glanced over at the curtains to see they'd been pulled open, allowing the gentle light of the sun to filter in, illuminating the warm stones of the room. She rolled to the side and gave a small frown when she realized she was alone in the bed, Arthur wasn't there. She reached out to feel his side, it was only slightly warm…apparently he hadn't been there for a while now.

It was…weird, really weird, to realize that she wasn't quite…comfortable anymore, waking up alone. She'd spent her entire life waking up by herself, had only been married and sharing a bed a short while and…already it didn't feel right to wake up without Arthur there. She couldn't even fall asleep without him beside her. She had no idea how it happened, it should have been awkward, but she supposed she and Arthur had spent so long trying to keep apart and not show their care for each other in too public a fashion that, to finally be able to be together that intimately, they embraced it. She liked the comfort she felt, the security and warmth that bubbled inside her when she woke up in Arthur's arms. It always made her smile.

And now, with him not there…she pouted.

She'd just rolled back to her other side once more when the door to the room opened. She tugged the sheet around her up just a little, Arthur was…very…active…at night, when it came to her. He seemed to love 'helping' her out of her dresses and, at the same time, either refusing to help her into her nightdress or making her so exhausted after certain activities that she didn't have the energy to get out of bed to go get one…which made for very entertaining mornings when she'd get up to get dressed. She was secretly suspicious that that was Arthur's entire plan, to get that extra little glimpse of her in the mornings.

She smiled though when she saw who it was that had entered, her expression softening when she saw what Arthur was carrying in his hands, a small tray with a bit of food on it, "What's this?" she asked as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed beside her, his back to the headboard as she wiggled to sit up.

"Breakfast," he smiled, beamed actually, placing the tray on her lap. It was a simple breakfast, a small bowl of fruit, some bread and cheese and honey, a cup of milk, "I'm sorry if it's um…plain," he began, "The um…the cooks kept trying to weigh me down with scones and…jams and meats and…" he shrugged, "A bit much for a bit of breakfast."

"YOU went to the kitchens to get breakfast for ME?" she looked up at him, leaning against him, just…pleasantly surprised by that. Usually she got them both breakfast, but this time…HE had gone there, he'd done just as a servant would do and got breakfast himself, well, for them.

He gave her a shy smile, one she rarely saw coming from him, "I…woke earlier and you were still sleeping," he tried to give a nonchalant shrug, "I thought you might be hungry after…after last night," he flushed at the memory, "And, well, I wasn't sure what you might want to eat so I tried to get what I know you like and, like the berries…" he nodded at the fruit, the same berries that Merlin had given her for her birthday each year, "And…and the milk, the bread is warm though, that's what took me so long, I saw them baking it and wanted you to have some warm bread. The um, milk might be a bit warmer than it should be because…"

He was cut off by Marayna leaning over more and pressing her lips to his, kissing him deeply, pouring her gratitude and how touched she was into the kiss. It was so endearing to see him getting all flustered and stuttering because he was nervous around her. After being married one would think he'd be more calm around her and it warmed her heart to see him still getting like that all because of her. She liked the effect she had on him, how she jumbled his mind, it was the same way her own mind went fuzzy when he'd be tender with her. He was so…strong and formal with others, cocky and arrogant at times, especially with the knights, but with her…she liked the Arthur he was around her very much.

"It's wonderful," she whispered, pulling away slightly, to smile happily at him, "You are…an incredible man Artie."

He rolled his eye playfully at her name for him, he…usually got very irritated with nicknames. He'd once tried to call Morgana 'Gana' just to annoy her as it was a trait they seemed to share. But to be honest, he had always been raised to be formal with others, to use their full names, it was one reason he was the only one in Camelot that called Gwen 'Guinevere,' yet with Marayna…it just slipped out and stuck. Her name really WAS a mouthful at times. And…he sort of liked how she was the only one to call him 'Artie' even though she did it purposefully to irritate him. It was hard now to be irritated when it was something special only SHE called him.

"Well I have to do my best to keep up with my remarkable wife," he murmured, tapping her nose and making her laugh.

She leaned over more, shifting her position so her head was on his shoulders, "Can we stay like this today?" she asked him, "Just the two of us, shirking our duties and stay lying in bed?"

"We don't have any duties today," he reminded her, "No council meetings, no training, no errands in the Lower Towns…"

"So we can then?" she grinned at him, it was…rare, very rare that they got to have a day off.

"Until lunch," he nodded, only for her to pout at that, "It's your own fault though."

"What makes it MY fault?" she countered.

"You were the one who decided a picnic with your brother, Morgana, and Gwen would be today."

She blinked, she'd actually forgotten that they were planning such an event. It truly was remarkably rare to have time to themselves and they had wanted to take advantage of it. Even when Arthur would use hunting as an excuse to get out of the castle, he was still expected to return with his game, with some sort of animal to be presented to the kitchens for dinner or some other such event. Idleness was not something the royals of Camelot seemed to thrive with and any chance she could get to steal Arthur away and make a lazy sod out of him she'd do.

There were two reasons for that, the first being that she wanted to spend time with her husband, with just _Arthur_. Not the Crowned Prince, not the future king, not Uther's son…just…Arthur. He was a different man alone with them than he was standing before the court or the people, and he didn't get to show it often enough in her opinion. She liked planning outings like that where they could go off into the woods and just spend time together with no titles between them and no obligations, where he was just a man spending time with his wife and friends, a picnic was wonderful for doing that.

Another reason was…well, when Arthur was king there wouldn't likely be time to do anything of the sort. He'd be swamped with responsibilities and duties and even more burdens than he already had and she wanted to try and give him time now, to give him happier memories to think on and to try and make the days to come bearable. Oh she fully planned to kidnap the 'king' of Camelot in the future if his tasks or the crown got to be too much for him. Hell, she was even prepared to have Gaius drug him and take on the task of running Camelot for a day or so if it meant Arthur would be able to rest and relax.

She…she wanted to talk to him about that as well, during this trip. She had seen how Uther was, how he had ruled Camelot alone for more than 20 years, she knew that he probably couldn't even remember what it was like to have a Queen beside him to help. And that was the point, the entire role of a queen was to_ help_, mostly it was taken in terms of helping to create an alliance with a neighboring kingdom (so she wouldn't really be able to help there as the basis (excuse) Uther gave for her marrying Arthur was to strengthen the prince's connection to the peasants and show a more understanding king), or to try and keep peace in times of fierce debate to try and avoid war when negotiating (she highly doubted her presence would do that as she'd probably end up being the one to spark a war by insulting one of the other kingdoms), or even to try and run the kingdom while the King was away at war (she honestly felt more comfortable with Morgana being given command of the kingdom while SHE accompanied Arthur to battle, she was NOT about to let him die now and leave her as Queen on her own…she'd kill him if she had to rule Camelot by herself after his death). But all of that was meant to be mostly temporary, except the alliance, and she knew she could handle looking after Camelot if he was there.

It made her realize that…the entire system was so biased and unbalanced. The women were a tool, they were only given a bit of power when the King wasn't there and then had to give it back. She wasn't entirely sure if that was how it worked everywhere, but from knowing Uther that was the sense she got from the man, that was the sense she was sure he'd taught Arthur to believe when he was king, that it ALL fell to the king, and the king alone to keep his subjects safe.

And that was wrong.

She really wanted to talk to Arthur about it, to bring up a small thought she had and see if anything might come from it. What she really wanted to propose was…a partnership. She didn't want Arthur to take on all the burdens and weight and responsibilities of a king all on his own, like she was sure Uther had set the example of. They were husband AND wife, they were prince AND princess, and they would one day be King AND Queen. They were a pair now, they came in together and she wanted to…she wanted to _share_ that with him. She didn't want him to feel like he had to face everything alone, that he had to do it all by himself.

She could help him, she WANTED to help him. If she could ease the burden a little she would do anything she could to do so. She wanted to talk to him about, when he was king, the possibility that he might delegate some of his responsibilities to her, share it with her. When she was Queen, whether she had the duties of a king or not, the people of Camelot would still be HER people too. The kingdom would still be part of HER role as Queen and she wanted to see if she could help him truly run things more than he would be able to alone. She wanted to help, she wanted to be there with him, and she wanted it to be a true partnership where they shared what they were going through and what they needed help with.

She was hoping to use this picnic to talk to him about that. She was doubtful it would go well, if Uther's influence was too strong, but she'd had a good run with Merlin in changing Arthur's views on quite a few things, the laws on magic being just one of them. She'd gotten him to admit he WOULD change the laws on magic if she asked him to. And she would. She would do that the second he was king and present him with all the evidence she could that not all people were corrupted by the power of magic…even if it meant using herself as an example, though she knew Morgana's own path would be a FAR better example, to have just learned of her magic and practiced in it and to STILL be fighting for the side of good…but she wouldn't dare put Morgana in a position like that, not ever.

"If we must," she let out a mock-sigh, but Arthur chuckled at that, knowing why she'd wanted this picnic just as well. He also knew…it would be good for Merlin as well, the boy was having some trouble adjusting to 'court life' and his new lordship and it would be good for him to be around just them for a time.

"That gives us…" Arthur grinned, "Quite a few hours yet."

Marayna held up a finger, placing it on Arthur's lips to stop him as he leaned in, ready to kiss her, "Let me eat my breakfast first," she told him, "And then we may continue," she shot him a teasing wink, "I need my energy, sire."

Arthur grinned widely and picked up a piece of fruit to feed her, making her laugh now too as she ate it, he really was quite eager for them to stay in that bed whether he knew it or not.

~8~

Marayna was lying on the small blanket that Arthur had brought with them for the picnic, the cloth set up near a rather large tree at the edge of a clearing. Arthur was sitting with his back against it, her with her head on his lap as he absently ran a hand through her hair, her playing with his fingers on his other hand as they watched the sun go down. They'd spent longer on the picnic than they'd planned to, but it had been too nice a day and the company too pleasant to pass up or to end it when they should have. Merlin, Morgana, and Gwen though had called it quits only an hour or so ago, had taken most of the items back to the castle with them, the basket, their leftovers and garbage, all that was left was really the blanket and Arthur's sword which he'd insisted on bringing.

She had been tempted to try and convince him not to bring it, knowing that, with her and Merlin and Morgana there, they'd be safer than anything. But it also meant if they were attacked, they'd be forced to use their magic. It would be…quite the way to introduce Arthur to that fact, but if he took it badly…she didn't want it to be her fault that her brother and Morgana had exposed themselves to his ire as well. No, she knew that they'd have to tell him about their magic soon but she didn't know when. She didn't even know if she wanted him to learn about Merlin and Morgana and their magic. He had taken the news of their relationship very well, not that he had much choice when HE was courting Merlin's sister just as Morgana was courting Marayna's brother. He'd been a bit forced to be ok with that.

But magic…that was something else entirely.

She would NEVER force her brother or Morgana's hand like that, not ever. But…she DID know that she really had to tell Arthur the truth about her own magic very soon. The longer she waited, she knew, the harder it would get and the more betrayed he'd feel in the end when it was revealed to him. She didn't want that, she didn't want him to feel that emotion ever associated with her. She just…had to find a good time to tell him and pray to every deity that she could think of that he'd take it well. She'd given a lot of thought to it, actually, how she wanted to do it, or how it might be revealed.

The best chance for him to accept her would probably be after saving Uther's life with magic…but to do that, she'd probably need to do magic in front of the king…and then she'd be executed, so it would be a fairly short revelation. Then there was helping Arthur himself, or Morgana, and saving his life…it would help very much if he didn't take it well, because then she could remind him of the Knight's Code…a life for a life. And he'd at least spare her own and hopefully just banish her.

If only he knew exactly how many times she and Merlin had saved his life!

Still, she kept thinking about it, creating more and more scenarios, some ridiculous and others a little too realistic for her. Still, she was hopeful that, when it did happen, Arthur would at least be willing to honor his promise to listen to her and Merlin first before reacting…even though she knew, with the Pendragon temper, that event was not very likely to happen. Arthur would likely fly off the handle faster than Uther could.

"Today was nice," she murmured as the sun started to dip, the sky turning pink and orange.

And it had been. They'd spent the entire day outside, laughing and joking, running in the grass. She'd managed to convince Arthur to go along with her wearing her tunic and leggings again and nearly given him a heart attack when she'd stepped out from changing to reveal she'd chosen one of HIS tunics to wear. He hadn't stopped staring at her for three hours. But the tunic and leggings had been the best idea because Morgana and Gwen had managed to sneak out in something similar, and she'd gotten them all to climb a tree.

It really was remarkable how something so simple could last for so long, entertain them all, and create so many good memories. Morgana had tried (and failed) to teach her how to make a flower crown from the flowers growing around the little field, which hadn't bothered the noblewoman as she and Gwen made quick work of getting five crowns made. Convincing Arthur to actually wear the one made for him though…well, it had been quite the interesting experience and she was fairly certain that Morgana, Gwen, and Merlin had had to turn their backs for a few moments of it. Sometimes Arthur took SO much to convince him to do something. Though, to be honest, she was quite suspicious that some of the time he just played that way so that she'd try all the harder…he seemed rather fond of her newest form of convincing that had taken the place of bickering or tricking him though she still did that quite often.

They hadn't wanted to leave even after their meal had run out so Arthur had volunteered to go hunting, a very small hunt, just him and Merlin, to get something, a rabbit or anything, that they could cook over a small fire and have dinner out there as well. Morgana had proven her fortitude in eating just like a knight and a peasant when the roasted rabbit was done cooking, not complaining at all about needing to eat mostly with her fingers, just grateful for the food. Merlin had beamed at that, and everyone could see just why they worked so well.

Most would assume Morgana was stiff and haughty and a true noblewoman, fixed and set in her finery and luxury. But Morgana hadn't always been Uther's ward and even beyond that she was just a genuine, nice, and considerate individual. She was simple in a way most noblewomen weren't. She appreciated everything she had and didn't complain about what she didn't. She was thankful and honest and that was something Merlin was himself. Having lived his life a peasant, he knew to appreciate what he had and not ask for more, it was something he and Morgana shared and they could see it in Morgana's eyes, she really would give up everything if it meant being with Merlin.

It was, Marayna, liked to thin, something like how she and Arthur were. They were both very loud and, yes, arrogant, they both thought they were right constantly and could fight and be rude to others but…they cared so much about the people they treasured. They loved their friends and would defend them to their last breath, and they made each other better.

"We should do it again," Arthur agreed, thoughtful. He especially liked this part, the part where they were alone and taking a moment. He didn't particularly care how beautiful the sunset might be, not when he had something even more beautiful in his arms. He was very grateful that Morgana and the others had left, he just…he wanted more time alone with his wife and now he was getting it.

Marayna peeked open her eyes and looked at him, "I think we should try to do it even after you're king one day," she added.

He smiled, "We should," he nodded, "Being king will be…hard, it would be good to take an hour or two to just…be Arthur," he looked down at her, "A simple man spending time with his wife."

She blinked, eyeing him a moment, "About that, about being king…"

"Yes?"

"There's something I wanted to talk to you about that…"

He waited a moment, wanting to see where she was going and was about to open his mouth to ask her what it was…when there was the sound of a twig snapping. They glanced at each other only a moment before leaping to their feet, Arthur pulling out his sword and moving to stand before Marayna…

When five bandits jumped out of the bushes and ran at them.

"Mara get back!" Arthur shouted as he held his sword up to deflect an attack. He glanced over, seeing her pulling her sais out of her books to block an attack against her, and returned to his own fight. He didn't know what he expected from her, there were five bandits and two had gone right for her, three staying with him. Her getting back wouldn't do anything.

"Little busy!" she snapped back, trying her best to stay on top of her own fight. She'd gotten a little better at the sais, but she hadn't ever taken on two opponents before, and it was hard to try and keep focused when the attacks were coming at her from all directions.

She turned, slashing at one as the man got too close to her, sending him flying back, grabbing at his chest where he was now bleeding, before glancing at Arthur to see his back to her. She spun to the second man and her eyes flashed gold as she threw out her hand, sending the man flying back into a tree, knocking him out. She turned once more, hearing a shout, JUST managing to get her sai up in time to block the first man's attack.

Arthur moved his sword around, bringing it down on the last of his men, having easily taken care of the first two only to struggle on the last one. He was relieved to see Marayna was fighting just one man as well, it made it a more fair fight for her and he needed to finish the man off quickly so he could go help her.

His head jerked to the side though when he heard a small scream, to see that Marayna was merely jumping back, out of the way of a slash of the bandit's sword…when he felt a searing pain shoot through his stomach. He looked back, his eyes wide in horror…to see the bandit had stabbed him through the middle. He fell to his knees with a strangled groan.

"Arthur!" Marayna screamed, turning and sending the first man flying into a tree and throwing her sai at the man towering over Arthur, having pulled his sword out of Arthur's stomach to hold it above Arthur's head, ready to finish him. She hadn't known what she was thinking, throwing one half of her weapons at the man…but it seemed the tiniest shred of luck was on her side as it ended up striking the man right in the chest, in the right side, probably puncturing a lung, but she didn't care as the man fell backwards AWAY from Arthur.

She bolted to his side, moving his hands to the side to try and examine the wound…feeling tears fill her eyes as she saw how deep it was. She had to get him to Gaius, quickly! She wasn't a healer, she wasn't Morgana, she had no idea what she could do to try and heal him and she HAD to! She could see that the wound was painful for him, it was deadly, it would kill him if she didn't hurry.

"Just…just hold on," she murmured, frantic but trying to do SOMETHING to help, "Arthur just…I'll get you to Camelot, just…hold on, please…"

"Mara…" he winced, wheezing, reaching out a bloody hand to her, "I…I'm…I'm sor…"

"Don't," she cut him off, shaking her head, "Please, don't," she started to cry, "You'll be fine, just wait a moment ok?" she looked around needing something to help, something, anything to help stop the bleeding but she knew it was impossible.

The wound was too deep and she'd NEVER be able to get him back to Camelot in time, nor would she be able to run there and bring Gaius back…unless…unless she used magic.

But…even then, to use it with Arthur in this state…what was to say that he'd even survive the journey, or that, upon arriving, someone wouldn't see and that she'd be arrested for sorcery and for murdering the prince even with her bringing him back alive? She had only just started looking at transportation spells, thinking it might help Merlin more so than herself, to have him just…appear in Morgana's chambers instead of try to sneak in. It would also be useful for returning to Camelot, ironically just for this reason, if there was an injury that needed immediate attention.

But…she'd only JUST started to look at it and one wrong word could kill Arthur or get her killed and…

She took a breath, there was only one option then, wasn't there? She couldn't get him out but…she might…she might be able to heal him, just…just enough that he'd survive the journey there. But it would mean…it would mean he'd see her use magic. He was probably half-delirious right now but she couldn't risk waiting till he fell unconscious. She had to make sure he was awake and stayed awake, needing him alert…

She swallowed hard and looked at him, taking his bloody hand in one hand, squeezing it as she reached out with her other hand to touch his face, cupping his cheek, "Arthur…" she breathed, her voice choked with emotion as his hazy eyes turned to her, "I'm sorry," she whispered, "I'm so sorry. Please…please forgive me and…don't hate me. Please don't hate me."

"S'not…your fault," his words slurred.

"Your wound might not be," she agreed, taking another breath as she pulled her hands away from him, out of his hold, to press them on his wound, "But this will be."

Arthur watched in confusion, about to ask what she was doing…when his heart stopped as she started to mumble in a foreign tongue, a tongue that sounded far too familiar and he'd heard far too often from enemies of Camelot…and then…

Her eyes flashed gold.

He let out a small scream, his body jerking and tensing as he felt like there was a fire licking across his stomach and groaned. He let out a gasp as the pain faded and immediately jerked away from her, Marayna hunching over, her arms around her stomach as she panted and shook, tears in her eyes, looking like she was nearly ready to pass out from what she'd done.

"You!" he nearly spat, glaring at her, feeling a sick sort of pleasure when he saw her flinch at his harsh, cold tone, "You're a sorceress!"

"No…" she tried to deny it, tried to explain that she was a witch, that it was different, that she hadn't had a choice in the matter, but Arthur jumped to his feet.

"You dare deny it!" he raged, "What? Was this part of your plan? Infiltrate Camelot? Worm your way into my BED," he sounded like he was spitting fire, Marayna wincing and closing her eyes at his accusations, "Find some way to control me?" he stiffened, "You enchanted me, didn't you!?"

Marayna shook her head fiercely, her heart breaking to hear him thinking what they had was merely an enchantment. She looked up at him, pleading with him to listen, tears in her eyes, "No, I…"

"It makes sense," he cut in, shaking his head at her, a look of pure disgust on it, "How else would I fall in love with a _servant_?" he sneered the last word like it was poison.

"I didn't enchant you," she insisted, "Arthur…I love you."

"Sorcerers are incapable of love," he stated, sounding more like his father than Marayna EVER wanted to think possible.

She knew what this was, this was the 'betrayal' she had feared. Arthur, for all his progress in thinking magic might not be entirely evil…had just gotten the greatest shock of his life. He'd found out that the woman he 'loved,' his wife, was a sorceress, or what he thought was a sorceress. She had magic, and he hadn't known. In his mind, that was betrayal, that was lying, that was treason, that was breaking the law. She hadn't told him, he hadn't known, he'd married her not knowing and to him…he assumed she would never have told him. He assumed she was using him like all the others to get something out of him.

Worse yet…he assumed she'd used magic on HIM.

He aimed his sword at her, and she could see it shaking in his hold as she stared at the point of it, only inches from her face.

"I banish you," he growled, his voice shaking in fury, "Leave Camelot and know I do this ONLY because this enchantment…" he pulled the sword away, "Will not let harm you."

"It's love," she whispered, her voice shaking like she was, "Not an enchantment."

It…scared her, it scared her so much to know that the shaking she'd just seen had been him actually attempting to USE the sword on her. She was there, kneeling before him, her head bowed, and she KNEW he'd been inches away from beheading her. And to think that it was an enchantment and not some love, not some knowledge buried in his head that told him she had never done anything to harm him or Camelot, it killed her.

She should fight back, she knew she would but…she hurt, all over, her stomach felt like it was in agony from what she'd done to save him. She couldn't think…she could hardly see clearly, the world around her was blurring and her heart was just shattering in her chest…she just…she didn't have the energy to convince him.

"A Pendragon would NEVER love a sorceress," he spat, "Leave. Now. Before I end this enchantment by ending your life."

She let out a breath, the pain reaching a point where she had to do it now…she had to get out of there now or she wouldn't be able to and, with Arthur in his current state of mind, she truly didn't know what he would do to her if she collapsed before him.

"As...astýre ú...ús þano...nonwe...weard," she murmured, her voice shaking, her words halting, and she feared that she might have mispronounced too many words for the spell to work…but a swirl of air flew around her, picking her up, much like it had Morgause, and carried her off, her last sight being Arthur's hate-filled eyes glaring at her as she disappeared…

Arthur merely turned and strode off…not even noticing the fresh blood on the grass two feet away from where he'd been lying…but right where Marayna had been kneeling…

~8~

Merlin stood beside Morgana's small throne in the Main Hall as Arthur called the court, standing before his father with his shoulders squared, his hands just barely NOT in fists beside him, his face firm but his eyes…they were angry.

"I have called you here father to tell you news of my…wife," Arthur began, Merlin frowning as he heard Arthur hesitate in calling Marayna that, "She has informed me…" he hesitated a moment, silently cursing the 'enchantment' laid upon him that prevented him from causing harm to her, "…that she had to return to Ealdor for a time."

"What?" Merlin called, not even caring that he was likely interrupting whatever the king was about to say, that was just…if she was going to go she'd have told him first.

"Yes," Arthur sent him a firm look that said NOT to interrupt him again, "She received word that her mother required help of some sort. She has gone to see to her."

Uther, however, gave a nod, "Did she announce when she would be returning?"

Arthur's jaw tensed, "Not as such."

"Very well," Uther agreed, mentally going through the tasks that would now have to be delegated to Morgana now that the princess wasn't there to see to them.

"If you'll excuse me," Arthur gave a curt bow and turned to storm out of the room, Merlin and Morgana rushing after him.

"Arthur!" Merlin called, "What happened to mother?" he asked the second they were in the empty hall beyond the doors.

"Did you know?" Arthur rounded on him, an angry, no…furious expression on his face.

"Know what?" Merlin frowned.

"That Marayna has…" Arthur cut himself off, as though saying it out loud were the greatest challenge he'd ever faced, Merlin and Morgana glanced at each other in concern at how he'd used Marayna's full name, "That she has _magic_."

Merlin's eyes widened, "What!?"

Arthur scoffed, seeing the fearful look in Morgana's eyes as Merlin started sputtering, "I should have know," he muttered, "You wouldn't say for she's your sister…nor would Morgana as your betrothed."

"You…you know?" Merlin felt his heart drop to his stomach.

"I was recently made aware," he pulled the vest he'd been wearing over his tunic aside to reveal the blood and tear on the front of it, but no wound was visible leaving litte to the imagination of just HOW Marayna had revealed her magic. He'd been hurt, she'd done something to heal him, and he...

"Arthur…" Morgana swallowed hard, reaching out to take Merlin's hand, "Where's Rayna?"

"I don't know," he spat.

"How could you not know!?" Merlin gaped at him.

"She broke the LAW Merlin," Arthur glared, "She practiced magic IN Camelot! You're lucky I didn't run her through!"

Merlin's heart stopped at that, "What…what did you do?" he whispered, feeling like he couldn't breathe.

"Since she enchanted me," Arthur stressed that she'd used magic on him as well, "I did the only think it would allow."

"Arthur…" Morgana shook her head, "Tell me you didn't…"

"I banished her," he told them, "Should she return to Camelot…it will be on pain of death."

And with that, he turned and strode away, leaving Merlin and Morgana staring in horror at his retreating back.

What had he done?!

A/N: Arthur what did you do!? O.O Oh boy...not good, SO not good! D':

Also, for any Losing Hope readers, the chapter for that will be delayed :( I went to check it just now and ALL my editing for it didn't save :( I have to go through that all over again and it usually takes me about 2 hours to do ;( Sorry!

Some notes on reviews...

Yup, this series will continue through to Series 5...with a possible original sequel at some point after ;)

We've got Marayna's reveal...it'll all be up to Merlin and Morgana when theirs will happen }:) Arthur's reaction...well...oh boy }:)

Unfortunately Gaius is right :( Marayna's injury as a child was too severe and is affecting her even as an adult :( Poor her and Arthur :(


	14. The Eye of the Phoenix

The Eye of the Phoenix

Merlin stood with his arms crossed, a glare on his face as he watched Arthur kneeling before his father's throne in the middle of the night, garbed in a white ceremonial outfit, just...staring at the chair. Anyone who looked at Merlin would have been hard pressed to admit it was actually the lovable, goofy former-servant standing there, the glare was so...unlike him.

"What's he _actually_ doing?" Gwen asked as she came up beside him, putting a hand on his arm, seeing how upset he was to even be there, but someone had to be there to tend to Arthur after he'd finished this entire trial and, sadly, that duty fell to his closest 'companion' to do so, and that was Merlin.

Merlin had wanted nothing to do with Arthur, he was...fuming. They all were actually, or at least she was, and Morgana, and Gaius too, those who knew the truth about Marayna and Merlin and their magic. They couldn't believe what Arthur had done to Marayna. Morgana flat out refused to even look at him let alone speak to him, Gwen gave him the cold shoulder whenever she was forced to be in his presence, only replying in the stiffest My Lords, reminiscent of Marayna's own biting tone for that, taking a good deal of pleasure in how Arthur flinched even now at the use of the title. Gaius wasn't quite as gentle when he'd been tasked with examining Arthur's stomach for any sort of lingering wound from where he'd been stabbed, Merlin forced to stand there and listen to the man recount what had happened to Gaius, knowing the man would need every last detail to determine the extent of the magic used.

Merlin though, had the hardest time of it, and rightly so, it was HIS sister that had been affected. He was still technically Arthur's 'servant/companion' and was expected to tend to the man when his sister wasn't there. And he hated it. They were quite sure that, if fingers wouldn't be pointed at him, that he'd have smothered the prince with a pillow or run him through with an enchanted blade himself if he could. He was furious not just with the lie Arthur had told Uther, who thought she had gone to visit their mother (Arthur's sorry excuse of a believable reason to explain why Marayna wasn't there) and also with the truth of what had happened. Hearing him describe the events to Gaius had set his blood boiling with rage about what the man had done to his sister. Worse yet, he was expected to be with Arthur nearly every minute Marayna wasn't there, which was _not_ an easy thing to do when you hated the man you were forced to spend time with.

Morgana had literally had to talk him out of killing Arthur quite a few times in the last two days alone. He was just...furious, boiling mad, angrier than he had EVER been at another person for what the man had done to his sister, how he'd dismissed her, sent her away, hadn't even _listened_ when she'd just SAVED HIS LIFE! Urgh! He'd stood there as Arthur talked about how they'd been attacked, how he'd been wounded and Marayna was there and her eyes flashing and the Old Tongue on her lips and then...he'd realized his wound was gone and he'd be able to defend himself against the woman. How he'd leapt to his feet and held his sword at her, beyond betrayed that his WIFE had magic! Morgana had had to pull him out of the room when Arthur confirmed that Marayna had just HEALED him and ALL he'd seen was magic being used, sorcery, and jumped to the worst conclusions!

Arthur's life had just been saved, he'd been DYING, and all he thought to do afterwards, instead of saying 'thank you' and kissing the ever-loving life out of his wife for healing him...he banished her! He threatened her! He sent her running and Merlin knew that it had to have been MUCH worse than what Arthur was describing. His sister was the bravest woman he knew, she had to be to accept Arthur as her husband, to know his and his father's prejudice when it came to magic, to put herself even more in the public eye where her magic could easily be discovered, and to take on the responsibility of being the future Queen. She was so strong, so brave, she NEVER backed down from a threat or a challenge, she never ran...

But she had now.

And he knew, his sister only EVER ran away when she was truly terrified for her life. She'd run from Richard and, as much as she tried to play it off as not wanting to be around the man, HE knew that it was because she'd used magic against him. She never ever ran away...and now she had, from Arthur, from her HUSBAND. Whatever he had done, whatever he'd said...it had truly terrified his sister and that worried him so much. For her to run...he wanted nothing more than to go after her and he'd tried, he'd tried so hard, but...the trail was cold. He needed more information from Arthur and the only way to do it was to stay in Camelot and try not to kill him, try to get the man to realize magic wasn't evil which he seemed to firmly believe now. He just...he needed to find his sister and Arthur was the only one who knew what had happened when she'd fled.

"Thinking," he said shortly, _any_ topic that involved Arthur got the same short response from him.

Everyone around them was aware of his anger towards the prince. Even Uther, though he assumed it was more irritation with his sister for not requesting he join her in seeing their mother. The people especially were starting to grow worried. Word had spread to them, of course, when the princess didn't return from her picnic and the prince's excuse of her visiting her mother suddenly...well...it hadn't exactly been met with firm belief, especially not when they saw how angry the woman's brother was with the prince.

They were starting to fear the worst and Merlin was NOT about to try and quell their fears, not when he himself was getting scared as well. His sister had never fled from him for so long without sending word that she was alright or where she was. And he couldn't find her, it was truly scaring him.

"About Rayna?" Gwen wondered, a hopeful note in her voice.

"A quest," he corrected.

"Crouching on his knees all night's going to help?"

"He has to 'transcend his body' so that the quest is revealed to him in a _vision_," he sneered.

It wasn't like Arthur would know anything about visions, not like Morgana did, or things being revealed or about the truth of the matter. He felt disgusted watching this all happen. According to Gaius, Uther had hunted Dragonlords because their ability to command Dragons was 'too close' to magic. Funny, how he and Arthur believed in this form of magic, in visions and the like, but refused to accept actual magic, refused to think that a vision like this was 'too close' to a Seer's or anything like that.

"And you're going to stay here and watch him?" Gwen glanced at him.

"And hope his knees bruise or he keels over," Merlin glared, ice in his blue eyes.

Gwen nodded slowly at that, watching Arthur. She had to admit she was torn, she was so _angry_ at the man, but…she could equally see how hurt he was by all this. It must have been devastating to learn his wife was a 'sorceress,' like the one woman he should trust completely had 'betrayed him' by having magic. That didn't excuse anything he'd done though, he should have let her explain! She was starting to think this quest was something else though, that it was just a distraction, a need to get away from Camelot and the kingdom and his bedroom and all reminders of Marayna, to focus on something else instead. She'd heard of quests like this in the past, it was to prove he would be a good king as well. Maybe that was why he'd decided to take it on so suddenly, he wanted to prove HE hadn't betrayed his kingdom in marrying a sorceress.

This quest though, was one he'd have to take alone, so not even Merlin could go, not that he'd want to. Not that she or Morgana would really feel comfortable letting him go alone with Arthur…he'd probably murder the prince as soon as they were far enough away from the castle where no one could hear the man scream. It really was killing Merlin to not know what truly happened to his sister or where she was or how she was or what had happened with the healing...because Marayna WASN'T a Healer, so how had she managed to heal Arthur?

Marayna had disappeared completely, Morgana couldn't scry for her, Merlin couldn't sense her or hear her in his mind, and SHE hadn't been able to find out anything from her friends around the towns, not even Gaius and his...contacts...could seem to find her.

It was worrying all of them.

~8~

Merlin stood against a pillar in the Main Hall that morning, the same as he had all night, glowering at the prince though he'd managed to change it up to as neutral an expression as he could muster when the king strode in with the rest of his council, "It is time," Uther touched his son's shoulder, "What is the quest you have chosen?"

"I can see but one path, sire," Arthur stood, "I am to enter the realm of the Fisher King and find the golden trident spoken of in the legends of _The Fallen Kings_."

Merlin scoffed, he doubted that. Arthur had probably just selected the most dangerous, foolhardy challenge he could think of.

"You do understand that, if you are to prove yourself worthy of the throne, you must complete this task alone and unaided?" Uther eyed him.

"I do," Arthur nodded and Merlin could see a relieved quality to it, clearly Arthur could see the animosity growing in his 'servant' as well as others could.

Good, he didn't want to have to be with the prince any longer than necessary. So, with that, Merlin turned on his heel and strode out of the room, taking a leaf out of his sister's book and, for once, not caring about propriety or respect when it came to nobles.

~8~

"Who was the Fisher King?" Merlin asked as he sat in the physician's chambers later, reading through spell book after spell book, he'd been obsessed since Marayna ran off, to find her when he realized his normal methods were failing, and to do that it seemed he needed stronger spells, more spells. He'd even been trying to learn healing spells too incase they were needed when he found her. WHEN he found her.

"He was a sorcerer who lived many hundreds of years ago," Gaius remarked, eyeing Merlin, concerned. The boy was running himself ragged in just the last two days, frantically trying to find his sister, not that Gaius could blame him, he'd tried to help as best he could. But he wasn't as young as he once was, his eyes hurt, his back, he was weary more often, but Merlin plowed through in a way only youths could.

"And let me guess, Uther's ancestors killed him, the way they do everyone?"

Gaius sighed, he was _not_ happy with the prince either but he had to show the man respect as his prince or risk being banished or executed and THEN where would Merlin be? If Marayna was truly injured as Merlin suspected she might be...then he needed to be there for her when she returned, when Merlin got her back. Merlin had only been allowed to skim by in terms of his attitude because his sister was the princess, "Legend has it he was wounded in battle. The wound festered and the infection spread, not just through his body, but through his lands as well. His mighty kingdom was reduced to a wasteland, and it has remained that way to this very day. Some believe the Fisher King's still alive, kept from death by his magic."

"Do you?" Merlin glanced at him.

"Perhaps," he shrugged, "Perhaps not. But the people of the North call the area 'The Perilous Lands.' Few who have ever ventured there have lived to tell the tale."

"Good," Merlin muttered.

"Merlin," Gaius sighed, shaking his head, knowing Merlin didn't mean it, not really...he was just...angry and worried and afraid.

"You _know_ he'd deserve it after what he did," Merlin said darkly, closing the book and putting it back in a hidden spot in the bookshelves, disguised as a medical book, before storming out. He needed to calm down, he needed to see Morgana.

~8~

Merlin made Arthur's bed later that day, more like tore the sheets off and slapped them down on the ground in anger as Arthur tried his best not to notice how the man was acting while he looked over maps. He was debating whether to tell Merlin he didn't have to do that in an effort to keep him from all out ripping the sheets as...well, he'd fallen asleep at his desk the last two nights, unable to even look at his bed and so the sheets were clean.

"Merlin..." Arthur called as Merlin threw the basket to the floor to put the sheets in, "I need to concentrate," Merlin rolled his eyes and continued to make a ruckus as he 'straightened the room,' "I am_ trying_ to prepare for one of the most important moments in my life."

"Would have thought your marriage was one of them," Merlin muttered.

Arthur's jaw tensed, "Merlin, hardly anyone's ever been to the Perilous lands. I'm meant to be proving my worth to the people."

"Fine job you already did," Merlin turned to him, "Do you know how many whisper behind your back now that Aya's gone? You _really_ think they believe that load of crock that she's gone to visit mum? If anything she'd have had mum brought here to live with us if there were some sort of illness like you led Uther to believe. They _all_ think that you feel you've made a mistake and sent her off or that you're trying to find another wife, annul the marriage. Have you _any_ idea how disappointed the people already are in you?"

"They'd be relieved if I told them what she was," Arthur glared back.

Merlin scoffed, "Really? What was she, besides the woman who loved you and protected you with everything she had?"

"A sorceress!" he snapped.

"Who used her magic to SAVE your LIFE!" Merlin shouted back, his hands in fists, shaking in effort to NOT let his magic lash out at the man, the last thing he needed was to be banished as well, or worse, executed like he knew Uth...no, sorry it was ARTHUR would have him face, Arthur didn't hold the love for HIM that he held for Marayna, he'd EXECUTE him instead of banish him and then who would be there to find his sister and get her back? Certainly not Arthur, "You have NO idea what she could have done in saving you! For all we know she could be lying in a cave somewhere, bleeding to death or dying of an infection from taking your wound and we can't know for sure because you sent her off, frightened for her life! God Arthur…when you were enchanted and tried to _strangle her_ she wasn't even afraid of you and now…now she is," he swallowed hard, taking pleasure in seeing Arthur wince at that remind of the one of the first times he'd hurt Marayna, "Aya only ever runs when she's scared," he told the man, seeing Arthur actually almost appeared alarmed at the thought despite what he'd done, "When you lifted your sword, she could have easily sent you back, killed you, but did she? No. I bet she waited for the blow, I bet she actually thought you'd KILL her," he shook his head, "You know what, I'm _glad_ you have to go alone. I hope you don't come back either."

And with that, Merlin turned and grabbed the basket of laundry, storming out of the room.

Arthur just watched him go, a brief thought that Merlin was just like Marayna in how he could storm out and leave him speechless, before he crushed it. No, Merlin didn't have magic, Marayna did. Marayna was the one who enchanted him.

Marayna was the one who betrayed him.

And it hurt, it hurt more than any wound he'd ever received in his life. The woman he loved...she had magic. She...she hadn't told him, he'd had to find out as he was bleeding to death that the woman he had trusted with his heart...was a sorceress. In that single moment, when he'd seen her eyes flash...that sign of magic...his world fell apart. His mind went blank, his breath left him, his heart broke as well as stopped, his entire body felt cold and numb and...he'd gone into shock. He was dying, then he wasn't, then his wife's eyes were flashing, and magic was being used on him, and...he couldn't process it.

The only thing he heard in his head was his father's voice, reciting all the lessons he'd ever been taught throughout the entirety of his life about the evils of magic and the lies of magic-users and the black hearts of sorceresses...and then he'd been hit in the gut to realize his wife...his wife was one of them.

Every single lesson came back to him and he found his father chastising him for falling for it, for falling for the tricks of a sorceress, and all he could think of was that he was supposed to be the prince, to uphold the laws, to be the most vigilant in the war against magic...and he hadn't even realized his own wife had magic. It HAD to be an enchantment, she HAD to have used a spell on him to make him that blind to her treachery. And if she could cast a spell on him for that...what else had she done?

Those with magic could not love, that was another lesson of his father's that flashed through his mind when he saw his wife's magic.

And he'd realized, she couldn't possibly have loved him, she'd only desired the throne, the title of Queen, probably to change the laws, allow magic back. She'd used him, she had to have, sorceresses couldn't love and he knew he would NEVER allow himself to fall in love with an enemy of Camelot. It had to be a trick, everything, every feeling he had for her had to be a trick or an enchantment of some sort. If she had truly loved him, if it were even possible, she would have told him about her magic before they'd wed. But she hadn't.

She had betrayed him.

~8~

Morgause waited patiently in the market, disguised as an old woman, watching as her traitorous sister and her maid looked around at the stalls, both seeming subdued, the peasants around them seeming to sense something wrong, all of them seeming to notice Marayna's absence as well. She smirked, waiting till Morgana sent Gwen off for fabric as she turned to look at the bracelets, before she let her eyes flash.

Morgana looked up, sensing the magic and looked around, only to catch sight of someone sneaking off into the alley. She frowned, needing to check on the person, if it was a magic-user, a good one, they had to get them out of Camelot and, if it was a bad one, she needed to know so Merlin and she could stop them.

She rushed to the alley, trying not to draw attention to herself in the process…only to gasp when the woman turned around to reveal Morgause, looking her normal self, "Hello sister," she sneered, her eyes flashing.

Morgana fell down in a faint, Morgause laughing as she caught her, lying her down before frowning as she saw the small amulet she wore around her neck…a protective one. No spells could be placed on her after it had been activated by the first spell, she couldn't be taken or harmed and the amulet couldn't be removed. It appeared she had taught her sister well if she was able to craft such an object and enchant it in such a way, little did she know it had been more Merlin and Marayna's doing than just Morgana's. And because the siblings had had a hand in it, Morgana disappeared right before Morgause's very eyes. She cursed, she should have known another measure would be in place. If Morgana was attacked, the amulet would transport her back somewhere safe, likely to her chambers.

Well that stopped her plans for her dear sweet sister, but she always had been good at improvising. She muttered a quick spell and glanced at a puddle beside her to see _Morgana_ smirking down at it, "Wonderful," she muttered but she had to be quick, the enchantment wouldn't hold for long, especially since she was magicing her voice to sound like Morgana as well.

She ran back out of the alley, back to the stall, just as Gwen appeared, "Find anything?" she asked her lady.

"Just this," 'Morgana' smiled, holding out a metal band with a golden stone in it that she had brought with her, "I think I might give it to Arthur, for good luck."

Gwen frowned, "You want Arthur to do WELL?"

Morgause blinked, "Yes…"

"Really?" Gwen looked at her, she'd have thought, given her lady's connection to Merlin, that that would be the LAST thing Morgana wanted.

"He may have hurt Marayna, but…she wouldn't want harm to come to him, would she?"

Gwen had to nod at that, no Marayna wouldn't. But...there was something odd about how Morgana had said that, she had been calling Marayna 'Rayna' since nearly the first day they'd met...but she shook her head, perhaps it was just the woman's fear for the girl getting to her.

And so they turned and headed off, Morgause/Morgana smirking as she went.

~8~

In the square, Uther and 'Morgana' stood before Arthur as he bowed, preparing to go, Merlin in the shadows, watching, knowing Morgana was being forced to be there for appearance purposes by Uther but…frowning because...Morgana was _smiling_. She looked pleased that Arthur was going on this quest. He knew Morgana was angry, but she didn't want him to truly _die_…and…she wasn't arguing about it or trying to leave in a huff, it was like…she _wanted_ to be there.

"You look troubled, Sire," 'Morgana' turned to Uther.

"He is sole heir to the throne, Morgana," he remarked.

"Don't worry. I'm certain a Pendragon will rule over Camelot for a _long_ time to come," she smirked.

Merlin frowned, hearing that, that was _not_ like Morgana at all. She had flat out said to all of them that she had NO desire to be Queen of Camelot and yet...it seemed like she was implying she'd be more than willing to step up to the challenge if need be. He turned to Arthur to see a bracelet on his wrist, metal with a gold stone and just felt...something was certainly off about it.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Arthur remarked as he trotted his horse past Merlin, "It was a gift from Morgana, it seems SHE has forgiven me," he turned to give Merlin a look before taking off.

"Forgive me sire," 'Morgana' turned to Uther, "I'm a bit tired…"

He nodded, waving her off, and she turned to stride away. Merlin followed close behind, making sure she didn't see him…when she turned a corner and stopped, her image fading to that of Morgause, who smirked before she disappeared in a swirl of wind.

His eyes widened and he ran to Morgana's chambers, bursting in to see her lying on her bed, asleep, the amulet he'd only given her just after Morgause had attacked glowing faintly around her neck, he ran to her side, his eyes flashing as whatever spell had been cast on her was canceled. She sat up with a gasp and looked at him, "Merlin! It was Morgause she…"

"I know," he leaned over to hug her, they had a problem now.

~8~

"You _sure_ it wasn't a jewel?" Gaius asked as he, Morgana, and Gwen sat around in his chambers, Merlin explaining what had happened, how Morgause had taken Morgana's shape and given Arthur the bracelet.

"No, brighter than that," Gwen said, nodding in thought as she looked at a picture in a book, trying to spot the 'jewel' as she had seen it much more up close than Merlin or Morgana had.

"And you think it was enchanted?" he looked at Merlin.

Merlin nodded, "There was magic there, I could feel it."

"And if it came from Morgause," Morgana sighed, "It can only mean one thing...Arthur's in danger."

"She was right about one thing," Gwen murmured as they looked at her, "Rayna wouldn't want him hurt no matter what he's done."

Merlin sighed, nodding, knowing she was right. Arthur had tried to STRANGLE her and she'd still risked her life to go save him, "Then we'd better figure out what it was."

Gaius nodded and moved to gather some books, handing it to them all to search for the bracelet…

~8~

"I'm not sure I know where else to look," Gaius sighed after hours of searching, "We've examined every stone imaginable. Unless..." his eyes widened and he turned, pulling out another book, "Was this it?" he held it up to Merlin and Gwen, open on a page of the exact stone!

"That's it!" Gwen nodded.

"Then it's not a stone. It's an Eye of the Phoenix."

"Phoenix?" Merlin frowned.

"Some call it the Firebird..."

"Yeah, I...I know what a phoenix is," Merlin blushed slightly, glancing at Morgana. Marayna had made him trinkets for his birthdays in Camelot, little wooden statues. Morgana's was a Phoenix, she was his firebird. Marayna was a dragon, Gwen a Unicorn, he was curious to see what else she'd come up with but now was not the time.

"Legend says that its eye burns with a fire that consumes the life force of anybody it comes in contact with."

"Arthur!" Morgana gasped.

"The Eye will draw energy from him," Gaius nodded solemnly, "If it's worn for too long, Arthur will die."

Merlin sighed, it could _never_ be easy could it, "Then I'd best get after him then…"

At least all he had to do this time was pull the man's bracelet off.

~8~

Merlin stepped into a tavern in Mercia, hoping to ask which way he could go for the Perilous Lands, really not having any idea where they were or what they looked like, just that they were past Mercia. He'd only taken a step in...when someone very familiar was thrown across the bar. Merlin blinked and stared down at the man, "Hello Gwaine."

"Ah!" Gwaine looked up at him with a grin, "Merlin! How are you?"

"Give me my money!" the man who had shoved Gwaine roared as he and his men gave chance, Merlin and Gwaine rushing out of the tavern and through the town in a bid to escape them.

"Remind me again what you're doing here," Gwaine called as they ran, even though Merlin hadn't exactly told him the reason.

"Arthur's in trouble," Merlin said shortly, "I need your help."

"What kind of trouble?" he stopped suddenly, hearing more of a chill in Merlin's voice than he was used to and knowing exactly who it had to have something to do with, "Is Ray alright?" Merlin didn't answer though, just tensed his jaw and Gwaine could see there was something VERY wrong when a murderous glint appeared in Merlin's eye, "Merlin...what happened?"

"There!" the brute behind them shouted.

"He's gone to the Perilous Lands," was all Merlin said.

"And Ray?" Gwaine insisted.

"She would want us to stop him."

Gwaine frowned, "What happened to Ray? Why didn't she stop him herself?"

"We need to go," Merlin turned, hopping onto the castle wall, looking down for an escape.

"Merlin!" Gwaine grabbed his arm and got onto the wall with him, not even noticing the height or drop, "Tell me."

Merlin turned to him, more serious than ever, "Arthur banished her."

"He did _what_?!" Gwaine gaped but Merlin nodded, "To the Perilous Lands we go…if only so I can kill him myself," he muttered, before they jumped off the wall and onto a stack of hay, before running for the horses, one that Merlin had brought and one that Gwaine had travelled on.

Merlin had to feel a bit relieved though, he'd actually been hoping to find Gwaine, having heard rumors the man was currently in Mercia as Gwaine had actually kept his promise to write his sister more and let her know what was going on in his travels. He knew HE couldn't face down Arthur, not without magic, he wasn't strong enough or skilled enough (except with a staff) but Gwaine cared just as much for Marayna as he did, and HE could certainly give Arthur a decent thrashing.

~8~

Merlin and Gwaine stalked through a forest, both silent. Right now they'd be joking about the taverns and how long it had taken him to find Gwaine and asking why the men had chased them in the first place, but both men were _far_ too concerned about getting Arthur back…if only to be the ones who killed him.

Merlin had told Gwaine why Marayna had been banished, there really wasn't any other thing she could have done to make Arthur send her away but magic. He hadn't wanted to be that open about his sister's secret, but Gwaine was one of her best friends and he wanted Gwaine to face Arthur (like he knew the man wanted to) with full knowledge of why. He hoped his sister wouldn't be too cross with him telling Gwaine about them so openly, but he was angry and he needed allies that could help him get through to Arthur. Gwaine had actually taken it better than Merlin thought he would, he'd just shrugged and said that he always knew there was something special about the girl and left it at that.

Merlin had remarked if only Arthur felt the same.

"This is it," Gwaine nodded ahead as they came to the border, "On the other side of the forest lie the Perilous Lands."

"Doesn't look too friendly," Merlin remarked, eyeing the barren land.

"That's because it's not. Believe me, it's _wretched_."

"How do you know?" Merlin glanced at him, "You've never been there."

"I've travelled to many places, Merlin," Gwaine smirked.

"Not the Perilous Lands, I know that."

"Why?"

"There aren't any taverns."

Gwaine laughed, clapping him on the arm, "I told you it was wretched. Come on," he led the way, till they came to a bridge where a short man appeared before them, blocking the way.

"So," the man smiled up at them, "Magic has arrived," he gave a nod to Merlin.

"What?" Merlin blinked, more startled that the man could recognize that in him than how Gwaine would react, he hadn't exactly added that HE had magic too...not for fear of what Gwaine would do or what he'd think but...he wanted the focus on his sister and her prat of a husband.

"You too?" Gwaine laughed, though he knew he should have guessed it, like sister like brother it seemed.

"There is nothing to be afraid of," the Bridge Keeper reassured them, "Your presence is essential if Arthur is to succeed on his quest," but then he frowned, eyeing him, almost seeming like he was trying to look around them and past them, "But where is Heart?"

"Who?" Gwaine frowned.

"How do you know about Arthur?" Merlin shook his head, already understanding HE was Magic, Marayna was Heart, "Who are you?"

"The Keeper of the Bridge," the man smiled, "I only wish to see the Fisher King's lands restored and prosperity reign again. Until your mission is complete, this cannot happen."

"It's not our mission, it's Arthur's."

"That's what you choose to believe. It's no accident that Arthur chose this path or you chose to follow him," the man smirked, "Heart has led you to do so as he would need two of the three to succeed. You and Strength shall allow him to do so," he gave a small bow to Gwaine as well, "I mean no harm to either of you. And I'd thank you to mean no harm in return."

"Of course," Gwaine nodded, putting the sword he'd pulled to defend them in the forest away. He'd learned in his travels to respect the old spirits of magic and the woods.

"The Fisher King has waited many years for this day," the Bridge Keeper told them, "Do not deny him what he wishes," they nodded and moved to cross the bridge, "Remember!" he called, "Nothing is as it seems."

~8~

That night, Merlin and Gwaine sat at a campfire, as silent and solemn as they had been in their travels, when something roared, "What was that?" Merlin asked with a wince.

Gwaine glanced over his shoulder before shrugging and turning his attention back to the fire, "Pheasant."

"Pheasant?" Merlin raised an eyebrow in a rather bad impersonation of his uncle and sister.

"Very big one," he grabbed his sword.

"You can turn back if you want," Merlin offered, as though just realizing the true danger they'd be facing in this quest to rescue Arthur...and then murder him if the opportunity presented itself.

Gwaine scoffed, "I'm not scared of pheasants."

"I don't know," Merlin joked, before sighing, looking at Gwaine a long while, "Why do you want to do this?"

"Same reason as you," Gwaine shrugged, "Kill the prince."

Merlin sighed, "I wish I could but…"

"Ray would never forgive us," Gwaine nodded, understanding, "Arthur was lucky to have her."

"He was," Merlin nodded, "And…I have to hope, he'll see how wrong he is and fight to get her back."

"I hope so too," Gwaine replied, "But he'll be in for a hell of a fight. I know Ray well enough to know she doesn't just give her heart to anyone, not that I haven't tried to steal it myself when I first met her. Ohh..." he smiled in memory, though his words were more of his typical flirting personality slipping through and not a genuine desire for the girl, "A girl who wasn't afraid to get dirty, who could just as easily kick you down as help you up. And her spirit…you don't meet a girl like that every day."

"I know," Merlin smiled at the description of his sister, "She was so good for Arthur, I really think she helped him become a better person, more than I did," though he knew it was that that had allowed HIM to make Morgana into a better woman, keep her from the path of darkness. With Marayna taking some of the strain off him, helping him protect Arthur, he'd had more time to focus on other people, like Morgana.

"Not good enough it seems," Gwaine murmured….but then there was another roar, several of them.

"They sound like three pheasants," Merlin winced.

"At least," Gwaine gripped his sword more.

Merlin smiled, "Want to see some real magic at work other than lighting a fire?" he asked.

Gwaine grinned, "Let's have at it!" he cheered and Merlin stood, turning around, ready to face the 'pheasants' and show Gwaine what real magic could do to protect others should the creatures attack.

~8~

"Gaius!" Morgana gasped as she and Gwen ran into the physician's chambers, having remained behind to try and keep Uther's suspicions away from Merlin and where he'd gone, trying to convince the man he'd gone to gather herbs and not after Arthur, "I saw them!"

"What?" Gaius turned to her.

"She had a vision of Arthur," Gwen explained.

"But the amulets…" he shook his head, recalling the ones that had been made to prevent them from being spied or scried upon.

"I wasn't scrying," Morgana told him, "I _dreamed_ of him."

Gaius blinked, well that was useful to know, that even though she couldn't _actively_ look for them, her dreams still did allow her to see those who were warded against scrying, "What happened?"

"He was failing," Morgana said, tears in her eyes, "He was struggling to hold on, but he was so tired and…there were Wyverns and they cornered him and…he collapsed. I…I don't know if Merlin will make it to him in time."

Gaius just moved to hug her comfortingly, "He'll do it, he'll never let his sister down, don't you worry…"

Now he just had to hope he was right.

~8~

Merlin and Gwaine ran through what Gwaine had said was the Dark Tower, they had seen Wyverns, distant cousins of Dragons, circling it and a heard a clash of steel and knew Arthur had made it inside, now they just had to get to him in time. They crawled under a portcullis and ran down halls…only for Merlin to get through one but not Gwaine, a trap setting down, blocking the way. Gwaine called that he'd find another way in and to keep going and find Arthur, so he ran off, following the pull of magic he could feel from the bracelet, it getting stronger with every second that it sucked the life out of Arthur.

He'd run into a room, just as Arthur collapsed, the Wyverns closing in, before he ran in front of them, "_Nun de ge dei s'eikein kai emois epe'essin hepesthai,_" he cried out in the language of the Dragons and the creatures bowed and turned to leave. Merlin let out a breath, thankful that had worked as he'd only really had a glimmer of hope that it would, and ran to Arthur's side, hesitating only a moment before he yanked the bracelet off.

Arthur woke instantly with a gasp, his strength restored, and glared up at him, "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Why can you never just say thanks?" Merlin returned the glare 100 fold. Honestly, with how he felt about the prince right now, the man was lucky he even left Camelot!

"Thanks?!" Arthur scoffed, pushing himself up, "What? For completely ruining the quest?!"

"Well, it's a good job I was here, otherwise you'd be Wyvern fodder by now."

"How many times do I have to get it into your thick skull? I am suppose to be doing this_ alone_!"

"And then you married my sister!" Merlin snapped just as Gwaine entered through another door, unseen by Arthur, "That means you CAN'T do things alone anymore, it's meant to be you and her!"

"I only married her because she enchanted me!"

"So explain to me why Ray kept back from you?" Gwaine called, drawing Arthur's attention, trying to recall as many tales from Merlin and Marayna and his own observations of the two with the prince as he could, "And insulted you, and hit you, and ran from you, and didn't seem all that keen about you at all really."

Arthur glared at him, "Great. This just gets better and better. Are Gwen and Morgana here too? Are we going to have a surprise party?"

"There're more Wyverns on their way," Gwaine cut in, "We need to get out of here."

"I'm _not_ leaving without the trident," Arthur huffed, "It was the whole point of this quest!"

Merlin just glared as Arthur turned and strode off, sorely tempted to just leave right then and there and go with Gwaine.

"She married the prince?" Gwaine asked, laughing, Merlin hadn't exactly added THAT part to his description of what happened and he'd been travelling so much that he hadn't really been in one place long enough to learn the latest gossip about the nearby royals, "Oh I would have loved to see her trying to act all prim and proper, like a true Lady."

"She never has, never will," Merlin smiled lightly, when he caught sight of a room along the way, a throne room sort of thing, "Look at this. Looks like a throne room..."

"If the trident's going to be anywhere..." Arthur had to agree…but Merlin stepped into the room only for the stones beneath him to sink.

Gwaine shoved him further into the room moments before a trap door nearly fell on him, but he was safe on the other side, the two of them trapped on one side.

"Merlin?!" Gwaine called, knowing Marayna would_ kill_ him in the most painful manner she could think of (and that was a terrifying thought) if _anything_ harmed her brother.

"Merlin?!" Arthur shouted as well, "You alright?!"

They couldn't hear anything through the stone door and paused to think…

"There's got to be a way to open this," Arthur mumbled.

"Actually…I have a better idea," Gwaine remarked lightly.

"What?" Arthur looked at him, only to jump back as Gwaine slashed at him with his sword.

~8~

Merlin sighed, leaning against the door, having tried to call through it only to hear nothing, when…

"So, Emrys, you are here at last," a voice whispered behind him.

He frowned and turned, seeing a throne set up with its back to him. He cautiously stepped closer, moving before it to see the old Fisher King, covered in cobwebs. The man was slim, pale, his face sunken in, looking truly as ill as Gaius had described him, yet hanging on, clearly only being kept alive by his magic, his trident clenched in his hand.

"Yet without Reesa," the man murmured, "It would seem."

Merlin frowned, eyeing the man, not bothering to ask how he knew about his sister, "So you are still alive?"

"For now."

He glanced at the door, hearing something slam against the wall hard, a scraping noise like a sword on stone, "That would be..."

"Your friends Courage and Strength, fighting over Heart, I know," the King sighed, "Without their help, you would not be here."

"What is it you want?" he turned back to the man.

He smiled sadly, wearily, "I want an end to my suffering."

Merlin frowned, hearing the hidden meaning beneath his words, "You want to die."

"I have been waiting all these years for the arrival of a new time, the time of the Once and Future King and his With Queen, aided by his Archmage and Healing Seer."

"I've heard these words before," Merlin murmured.

"And you will hear them again. For that time is dawning, and my time finally can come to an end. This is why _you_ were brought here. For this is not Arthur's quest, it is yours. Arthur thinks the prize is the trident," he let go of the trident in his hand, allowing it to fall with a clatter to the floor, "But the real prize is something far greater," he held out his other hand, a small vial of water in it, "Water from the Lake of Avalon. I've kept it safe these years, waiting for the right person to claim it. And that is you._ You_ are the one chosen."

"What are you talking about?" Merlin shook his head.

"Albion's time of need is near. And in that dark hour you must be strong of Magic, and strong of Heart, for you two can save her. Your powers are great, but you will need help. And that is what I'm giving you," he held the water out more and Merlin took it, "When all seems lost, this will show you the way."

"Thank you."

"I have given you a gift. Now you must give me one in return."

"But I have nothing to give."

The King stood, moaning, "I think you do."

Merlin nodded, pulling out the Phoenix Eye bracelet and handed it to him, "If I give you this...you will die."

The King just held out his hand for Merlin to put it on and so he did. The Eye glowed and the King disappeared with a smile, fading away before his eyes, a faint whisper of, "Thank you," drifting past Merlin's ears.

Merlin nodded and knelt down, picking up the trident before he moved to the trapdoor, eyeing it, "_Alisan_…" he breathed and it opened again. He stepped out, only to stop short, seeing Arthur and Gwaine duking it out.

He rolled his eyes and threw the trident to the ground. It clanged against the stone and the men stopped, Arthur looking down at it. Merlin just shot him a dark look that expressed how little he actually wanted to be there and be a part of this success, before he turned and walked off, Gwaine smirking as he followed.

Arthur sighed and picked up the trident.

~8~

"This is the border," Gwaine remarked as they came to the border of Camelot, the castle barely visible in the distance, "By Uther's decree, I can go no further."

"I'm sorry, Gwaine," Arthur remarked, "Nothing I can do to change that."

"I wouldn't want you to," Gwaine remarked, giving Arthur a hard look, "I hoped one day, to serve a good man, a great king," he shook his head in disappointment, "That is not you."

"Careful..." Arthur glared with warning.

But Gwaine just shook his head and looked at Merlin, "If he ever gets his better half back and becomes that great king, let me know."

Merlin nodded, the two men ignoring Arthur for the moment as they had a conversation all their own, "Where will you go this time?"

Gwaine licked his finger and put it in the air, "I think I'll ride south."

"You can't keep living like that," Merlin told him, "Aya wouldn't want that."

"Well, till she tells me herself," he shot a glare at Arthur, "It'll be fun trying."

Arthur nudged his horse on, leaving the two men without another word, them watching him go.

"Thanks…Wen," Merlin smirked, trying to keep his sister with them in spirit, in heart.

Gwaine laughed at the name and nodded, "I'll keep an eye out for her Merlin."

He nodded as well before turning to reluctantly follow Arthur, only the thought of Morgana and the resources he could use to find his sister urging him on after the prince.

~8~

Morgana gasped from where she was standing by her bedroom window as she spotted Merlin walking into the courtyard, a bag in hand, as though he'd collected herbs, and breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh thank god," she whispered.

"My Lady?" Gwen ran over, seeing Arthur ride in on his horse moments later, "They're back!" she breathed.

"But not Rayna," Morgana frowned even though she knew it was a far hope that they might return with her, that Marayna might have appeared just when Arthur needed her most and come back.

~8~

"Arthur, I don't know what pleases me more, to be in possession of such a precious artifact, or to know that you have finally proved yourself to be the man I always hoped you would be," Uther grinned as Arthur stood before the court, handing him the trident, Merlin nowhere in sight.

"Thank you, Father," Arthur nodded, feeling oddly...hollow about it all. He'd gone on a quest to prove himself to Camelot, to prove himself loyal, that he had her best interests in heart...that he hadn't betrayed his kingdom...and come back feeling like he'd betrayed something far more important, his heart. Even though his mind kept telling him he'd done the right thing.

"I have no doubt that you will one day make a fine king," Uther smiled, "And with the finest Queen at your side."

Arthur swallowed hard but nodded, he still couldn't bring himself to tell his father of Marayna, to know she'd be executed should she return…

But she wouldn't return would she?

Because he _didn't_ want her to.

Didn't he?

~8~

"It's from the Lake of Avalon?" Gaius gasped as he eyed the vial of water Merlin had shown him.

"That's what he told me," Merlin nodded.

"Interesting."

"You think?"

"Well, it must have some significance."

"Maybe..." Merlin shrugged, "Do _you_ believe his warnings?"

"Well, we already know of one enemy hacking at our walls," Gaius sighed.

"Morgause," Merlin nodded.

"Whether the Fisher King is right or wrong, we'd be foolish to ignore his words."

"Do you think..." Merlin began, "Do you think it could find Aya?"

Gaius sighed, "Your sister is the High Priestess, Merlin, if she doesn't want to be found, I doubt there is any magic in the world that could find her."

Merlin nodded solemnly and looked down at the table, slowly running out of hope at finding her, "I just wish I knew she was alright."

Gaius reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, they all did, they all wanted that, they all wanted her back and the longer she was away...the more fearful they became.

A/N: I'm back! ^-^ Two semi-importantish notes to follow:

**First**, I just wanted to comment on a few reviews about how I've ruined and killed this story because Marayna can't have children. The unfortunate truth of the matter is, in real life, not all women CAN have children, not all Queens were able to produce heirs, and there _were_ consequences for it. I have to admit though, for more personal reasons, I find comments like that just a little insulting :( Mostly it stems not from the story but because of how I interpret reviews like it (which may be completely off from how it was intended). I take it to mean that the lives of all women in that situation have been ruined too because they can't have children either. It hits close to home because my Aunt cannot have children. Her life wasn't ruined, her husband loves her despite it, they've adopted my three amazing cousins, and when I hear people claim that just because someone is barren, a story (and, in the same line of thought, a life) is ruined...you can see how/why I might take it like that :( I am _very_ touched that you all love Marayna so much and that you want her to be happy and have a child, but, in the same breath...I feel like more trust should be given to the author that they've done what they have for a reason. I will always have a reason behind twists in a story and a reason for writing things and characters the way I do.

To all those who fear I've ruined the story because one woman can't have a child, I understand if you'd like to stop reading or lost the will to keep reading...though you might want to try to stick with the story to at least Chapter 18 before you claim I've ruined my own story when it's barely halfway over ;)

**Second**, I want to thank you all for your support :) I'm so sorry I wasn't able to update the last week or so :( I had a post on tumblr about it but the gist was that I didn't have access to the internet for that time as my family and I worked to try and figure out why I hadn't been feeling 100% for a while :( I'm very relieved to say that I'm ok now. We've found out it was a massive stress-related thing that was getting to me. Between the year-end events for my job, and deadlines and my boss nearly firing me/searching through my desk nearly every day after I left/blaming me for things I'm not responsible for and my parents urging me to quit (which then brought on more stress about paychecks and bills and mortgages and bankruptcy) and just work and school and family and everything, it just got to me in a bad way :( But the week off and long discussions with my family really helped a lot and I started feeling better near the end of it. I feel almost like my old self again which I'm very relieved about :) I'm excited to be back and posting again and I hope you all enjoy what's coming :)

I hope you all liked this chapter. I can say that we'll find out what happened with the healing and where Marayna is very, very soon ;) There won't be an episode cover for this chapter as Marayna doesn't really physically feature into it though :)

I have a few things to sort through but I should be back on tumblr too in a few hours ;) And I'll also be trying to get back to PMers over the next couple weeks, I've got almost 100 to get through so it might take a little while lol :)

Some notes on reviews...

I can say no, Marayna wasn't pregnant :(

I can't quite make it better in this chapter, but we'll see a resolution VERY soon ;)

The blood and what Marayna did to save Arthur will be explained very soon as well, but there was a tiny hint in this chapter about it :)

I can say we'll have a bit of contemplative Arthur coming up, not quite like the scene described, but we'll see more of Arthur's thoughts and emotions on it all very soon :)

Oh Merlin SO wants to slap him (and worse) but I think he's afraid of being executed for attacking the Prince and then there would be one less person trying to find his sister :( But I can say nope, she wasn't pregnant and lost the baby no, that'll be cleared up very soon }:) As for being barren, wait till Chapter 18 :) We'll find out where Marayna is very soon too :)

Lol, sorry about the double angst, I don't think we'll have quite that much angst coming up again though :)

I'm glad you're enjoying the plot twists :) They're my favorite parts to think of :) And thanks! I sort of hated Uther so much in the show but writing it out, I tried to look more into his mind and understand what he did and why and try to make him more a human who lost his wife than an evil tyrant (like I imagine him in the show lol) :)

Nope, not quite on purpose, I had to stop suddenly for health reasons, but I'm back now ;)

Oh I think Arthur was more in shock than completely forgetting Marayna just saved his life :( But we'll see him regretting that very soon ;)

It's perfectly ok to say, to me at least :) Thank you very much, I'm glad I'm feeling better too. I love you guys too! ^-^

Lol, that happens to me all the time :) I watch DW and go...wait...where are the Time Ladies? What is the Doctor acting like that? How did THAT happen when...oh...right...the OCs weren't actually in the show lol :) But I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far! ^-^


	15. The Return of a Princess

The Return of a Princess

Morgana was sitting up in her bed, Merlin's head in her lap as he laid on his side, staring at her door, lost in thought. No, not thought, fear, she knew, as she ran her fingers through his hair. He was terrified, he was so scared for his sister. Arthur still hadn't come to his senses about Marayna and how she couldn't possibly have enchanted him. And Merlin was so scared, because it had been four days now and Uther would expect some sort of word from Ealdor about Marayna and her 'visit' with their mother and it wouldn't ever come. That meant that Arthur would be expected to say something, either tell his father the truth or come up with some other excuse about her. And there were so many they knew he could give in his anger. He could say she'd committed adultery and ran off with some other man, that she'd been murdered by bandits, that he'd found out her magic…all of which would lead to her eventual death in some way.

But she knew that wasn't the only thing bothering Merlin, no…it was that HE couldn't find his sister. Neither could she, not for lack of trying. They had tried tracking spells, she'd tried scrying, Merlin had even taken the hounds out to the woods by himself to try and get her scent but whatever she had done…Marayna had covered her tracks. She had covered them so well that they couldn't find her, even with magic's help. Gwen had gone to the Druids, they were searching for her, Merlin had begged help from the Dragon, Kilgharrah was currently flying around as much as he could without revealing himself to try and find her too, SHE had even managed to summon the Bloodguard and they were in a frantic search for their High Priestess now. But they hadn't found her, not yet, and it was scaring Merlin.

They'd gone to the clearing that they'd had their picnic in, thinking there might be some sign there of where she'd gone and what they'd found had alarmed them. They'd taken one of the hounds with them and…they'd found blood. But they knew that Arthur hadn't struck her, hadn't even used his sword on her, he'd have at least told them that if he'd wounded her. Hell, the prince might have even been pleased he'd fatally wounded her before she'd escaped. All they'd been able to gather was that he'd threatened her, that she'd disappeared in a whirlwind like Morgause had, a transport spell that Merlin knew she'd been trying to work on to get them out of danger without needing Kilgharrah's help.

It alarmed them both the discoveries they'd made in the forest. They knew Arthur had been wounded, he'd shown them his torn shirt, the blood around it, but his smooth flesh. They knew Marayna had to have healed him then. But THAT was the problem, Marayna couldn't heal, not something as complicated as a stab wound. Maybe a small cut here and there, but a deep wound like that, being run through by a sword…that was beyond her. And then, when they'd been in the field, the hound had picked up small puddles of blood…but gone to a smaller one about a foot away from a larger one. And the horrible truth had hit them.

The large puddle, they could assume, was Arthur, when he'd first been him, but the second one? Given the hound was searching for Marayna's scent…the second puddle was Marayna's. And it scared them, because they didn't know what it was. Till Gaius had given them a theory of his own after Arthur told the man what had happened, or his version of it. Marayna couldn't heal, but she wanted to help, she wanted to take the wound and the pain away from Arthur, she wanted to help him…

What if…what if she transferred the wound to herself?

Merlin had been beside himself at that point, because he knew that was exactly what his sister had done. Marayna was always the one who seemed to know things about every other thing…HE knew things about his sister. He'd felt it in his gut, a small sort of tingling, very subtle, hardly there, but with it being so persistent and not fading…he knew it was his sister, his sister was hurt and suffering a stab wound she'd taken from her husband…and been banished.

Marayna was out there somewhere, suffering of a stab wound, and they were unable to find her or help her.

THAT was what was worrying Merlin. They'd exhausted every single option they had to try and find her, magic, hounds, hunting, tracking, everything…except Arthur. Arthur was the best hunter, tracker, what have you in the kingdom. He had been able to track down sorcerers in the past that had used magic to escape. Gaius had a theory about that, that because he'd been born of magic, that, maybe, he was more sensitive to it, that he just had a better idea of what direction to head in than normal people would. And, given the fact he was apparently Marayna's soulmate or something, their destinies so entwined…Arthur was their best chance of finding Marayna. And they NEEDED to find her soon.

It had already been days, if she somehow managed to survive the wound…she would be in a dangerous state. IF she was still alive that is, Merlin refused to think she was not though. He would know if his sister had died, he'd feel it, he was sure of that. For him to not have felt it…it HAD to mean she was still there, clinging to life. But he didn't know for how long she'd manage to hold on, and he had to find her, he needed to, she was his baby sister, he'd promised himself before he could even remember, that he would always protect her and care for her and now…he'd failed. He was failing and his sister was suffering for it.

"Will you talk to him?" he whispered to Morgana, reaching out to take her hand from his hair, just holding it, tugging it closer so it was nearer his shoulder and less awkward for him to hold, "If I have to face him now…I'll kill him."

He was so…angry. So furious at what Arthur was doing, what he was causing to have been done. If the prince would just stop and think and get off his prejudice, he'd see that Marayna had SAVED HIS LIFE and he'd banished her for it! She'd saved him at the risk of her own life and she was dying now. He'd tried to argue with Arthur, tried to find his sister, and he was at the end of his rope for it. It was all Arthur's fault and he'd end up killing not just the prince but his sister's husband if he was forced to face the man one more time before he was ready to help.

"Anything for you Merlin," she swore, "I just…I don't know if he'll listen to me."

"He'll have to," Merlin whispered, "Gana," he turned onto his back, his face so solemn that Morgana knew what he was going to say before he even said it, "We need to tell him."

"You mean _I_ do," she corrected gently.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured, reaching out to touch her face, "If I tell him…he'll think I'm like her."

Morgana nodded, "I know," she breathed, "He needs to see it's not just Marayna who has magic, and that we are NOT evil. He'll think you're defending your sister. I'm as good as his sister," she WAS his sister even if he didn't know it, "If he will try to murder ME for this…" she smiled down at him, "Then Camelot is lost and we will escape her and find Rayna again."

Merlin let out a sad breath, "I just want to find her alive," his voice cracked at the last word, tears in his eyes.

Morgana leaned forward and hugged him tightly, him sitting up more to make it less awkward, "We will," she promised, though she felt tears in her eyes as well, knowing that…

There was a very real possibility that they would only find her body instead.

~8~

Morgana paused outside of Arthur's chambers, closing her eyes a moment to steel herself before she took a breath and strode into his room, "You are complete and utter prat Arthur Pendragon," she got right to it.

She felt like…such a different person, when she was around Merlin. She felt…vulnerable but in the best way, like she could be sweet and innocent and kind and no one would think her a fragile little girl. She saw most women in court, how they acted so polite and meek and quiet and she'd hated that, she'd hated how others thought they were tools and tried to take advantage of them. She'd refused to let herself be seen like that, her vocalness, her spirit, her fiery nature, most men were taken by her beauty but stayed away from her bite. Merlin had seen past all that, had fallen in love with her despite it, he loved every aspect of her personality, from her snappish nature to her compassion when in private and with people she cared about. She could be quiet and loving with him and he wouldn't see her as weak, unlike other men.

But around Arthur…well, he naturally infuriated her so this was all too easy to fly back into her temperamental state.

"About what now Morgana?" Arthur rolled his eyes from where he was standing by his window, staring out of it. Gwen held a secret hope that he was watching for Marayna to come back so he might apologize, but she and Merlin were of a far more realistic idea that he was waiting for her, yes, but so he could order her execution.

"About Rayna."

"Don't you DARE bring her up around me," Arthur spun to face her, his face set in stone as he spoke of her.

"And don't you DARE tell me what to do!" Morgana rose to her full height, striding up to him, "How you could ever even think that Rayna enchanted you?!"

"Well she did," Arthur snapped, turning away from her again.

"No she didn't."

"And how would YOU know," he nearly sneered.

"Because I've seen you enchanted before Arthur, with Sophia and Latrona and so many others or have you forgotten?" she crossed her arms, glaring at him, "You are NOT acting like you did when you were after them. Arthur, you PROPOSED to her while enchanted and she REFUSED you! Why would she do that?"

"Because it was not HER enchantment that made me do it!"

"Arthur you are NOT acting like you did under any of the enchantments and…"

"Then it is a different kind of enchantment," he defend, "How am I supposed to know how magic works!? Perhaps she was merely more skilled than them, perhaps it was a slower spell, perhaps…"

"Perhaps it was just love," Morgana cut in.

"Those with magic cannot love," Arthur spat.

"Look at you," Morgana spoke quietly now, shaking her head at him in disappointment, "You sound JUST like Uther."

"He is a mighty king," Arthur defended, "He has kept Camelot safe from the treacheries of those with magic and…"

"And just a year or two ago you believed that there WERE those with magic who could be trusted, who could be good…"

"And I was wrong."

"Then shall I ask the guards to bring Gaius to the pyre?" Morgana countered, gesturing back at the doors.

"Don't be ridiculous Morgana," Arthur turned back to the window, "Gaius renounced those ways and…"

"And UTHER forgave a magic-user," Morgana continued, "He KNEW Gaius practiced magic, he knew that Gaius used magic, and he let him live. That should be all the proof in the world that not all magic is evil, that not all magic-users mean harm, he's a physician for God's sake!"

"Father convinced him to renounce magic before it could corrupt him."

"Then you admit not everyone who starts using magic is corrupt, that there ARE good people."

"I admit that Mara…_Marayna_ was more crafty than I gave her credit for," he shook his head, "She had to have been using magic longer than any for her enchantment to be so slow forming and carefully wrought, to affect me so deeply that I could not even strike her down."

"You did."

"I did no such thing," Arthur turned to her once more, "I wanted to, but I couldn't bring my sword down upon her."

"You didn't have to," Morgana swallowed, "Arthur…you were wounded, yes? Run through? Dying?"

"Yes, and?"

Morgana sighed, "Rayna healed you, didn't she? She used her magic to save your life."

Arthur was silent, "I'm sure she only wished to see the end of her plot come true, for me to fall farther under her spell and repeal the laws on magic when I am king. I should have known," he muttered, "She spoke of it far too often…I even promised her I'd…" he cut himself off, not wanting to admit he'd fallen for her tricks, that he really had started to think that those with magic had the potential to be good, that he was going to change the laws, "All those with magic are evil."

Morgana nodded slowly, "Well then…" she murmured, and Arthur looked at her, seeing tears in her eyes, "I am glad to know what you truly think of _me_," Arthur stiffened at that, praying that she wasn't saying what he thought she was, "After all that time, striving to do good, proving to myself that I was not going to fall to the darkness…it was a waste then? I am just…evil, am I?"

"Don't be stupid," he shook his head, "I wasn't saying YOU were evil, you don't have magic."

Morgana looked at him for a long while, resignation on her face, before turning to a candle resting beside her on a small table that she knew Arthur had taken to keeping a vase of flowers on for Marayna, now empty except for the candle and holder. She had to do this, she knew, and so she used the only bit of magic she knew she could do without needing to utter a word…

She lit the candle aflame with magic.

Arthur felt as though he'd been run through again as he saw Morgana, the woman who was as good as a sister to him, saw her eyes flash gold and the candle light, "No…" he breathed, falling back onto the desk behind him, the chair beside it, stunned.

This was different than in the woods with Marayna, he hadn't expected it then, not from her. It had been too sudden, his emotions already heightened, there had been no lead up to it…and now…he was just tired, he was just…drained, he'd spent so much time burning with rage for his wife that it had exhausted his rage for others.

And this…this was something he knew should have hit him harder, Morgana he'd known ALL his life…

"She corrupted you too then," he whispered.

"I am an inch away from _slapping_ you Arthur," Morgana gave him a withering look, "Rayna had NO hand in this at all."

It was lie, she had partially had a small hand in it, she and Merlin had taught her some magic, helped her understand her abilities. Morgause had been responsible for most of it though, but she knew that wasn't what Arthur was speaking of. To him…she had LEARNED magic, because of Marayna.

"She HAD to have," Arthur shook his head, "You would not ever have chosen to learn magic if not for her…"

"I didn't CHOOSE it," Morgana cut in, "Arthur…" she moved to him, kneeling before him, Arthur too shocked or stunned or confused to move back, for which she was thankful, "Do you remember the dreams I've had, of you drowning or of you being hurt, all those times I was terrified for you or Uther or Camelot?"

"Yes?" he murmured, not sure what that had to do with anything.

"They weren't just dreams…they were visions, they came true," she told him, "I…I am a Seer, Arthur."

"A Seer?"

"Yes," she nodded, "And for people like me…when our visions grow more powerful…so does our magic. We could not have the visions if not for our magic."

"But…" he shook his head, memory after memory after memory of nightmares she'd had racing back to him, "But you've been having nightmares like that since you were a child!"

"Yes," she agreed, praying that she might be starting to get through to him, "Ever since then, the magic has always been inside me too. Arthur…you KNOW some people are born with magic, like…like Mordred and the Druids," she reminded him, the man looking down as he thought on that, "I was born with magic, I had no choice in it, no more than YOU did in being born a prince."

"You…didn't_ choose_ to learn it?" he eyed her.

"The only thing I chose to learn, was how to control it," she admitted, subtly telling him that yes, she HAD learned more magic, "And Arthur, in doing that…I found out something even more…good…about my magic."

"And what's that?" he breathed, feeling like the air was being sucked out of him, like a pit was forming in his stomach as, in the back of his mind, he worked out what this might mean about Marayna as well.

"I'm a Healer too," she told him, reaching out to take his hand, "Like Gaius wanted to learn to help his patients…I have a natural gift for healing."

"You…can heal?" he blinked, looking almost as though he hadn't even considered that magic could be used for something like that despite knowing that was exactly what Gaius had been studying when he had been learning magic.

"Yes," she smiled at him, "I have helped…so many people Arthur, I can help so many more…if you will not cast me out?"

Arthur looked at her long and hard, Morgana holding his gaze, not backing down. She knew this was too important, she needed him to see HER, to see Morgana, the woman he'd grown up with, the one he'd put lizards in the bed of to scare her, the one who would best him at sword fighting to get back at him. He needed to see that it was STILL her, that it wasn't some evil sorceress, some foul magic-user, but just her…with magic.

"You cannot help the way you are born," he murmured under his breath, "I could no more cast you out than I could banish myself for being a prince."

Morgana nodded at that, "And yet you cast Rayna out."

"That's different," he automatically went to defend…before he saw the look in Morgana's eyes, "Isn't it?"

But she merely shook her head, "Arthur…she and Merlin were born with magic."

"What?" he stared at her, his entire world starting to crash down around him at just those few words. He'd just said he couldn't cast Morgana out for being born with magic and now…now to hear his wife had been in the same situation and HE had cast HER out…

"Magic more powerful than any on this earth," Morgana continued, "Their magic had been manifesting since they were infants…and Arthur, they have only EVER used it to protect you and Camelot and help people."

"What…exactly has she done?" Arthur looked at her, an almost desperation in his eyes, a need to know what his wife had done for him, almost…almost as though he needed to know it wasn't a lie, that she really HAD used her magic for good.

Morgana let out a breath at that, seeing it not for what it appeared but what it was. Somewhere, deep down, Arthur hadn't wanted to believe his wife had betrayed him, had refused to believe it, it was why he'd reacted so harshly, the one person in the world he never thought would do that to him, had, in his mind. He hadn't wanted to believe it…and now…now he was clinging to anything he could to prove that she hadn't.

"I'll tell you all I know," she promised, "But Arthur…we don't have the time."

"Why not?" he frowned, the pit in his stomach growing more and more.

"Rayna didn't just heal you Arthur," she told him, "She took your wound for herself."

"What?" he wheezed out, feeling his heart constricting painfully at that.

Morgana nodded solemnly, "She's out there, right now, bearing your stab wound. And we need your help to find her."

~8~

It was a silent affair that would find Merlin and Arthur racing through the woods on their horses the next morning. It had pained them all to wait till light to go find Marayna, especially when Merlin had demonstrated a….shining, silver/blue orb of light that was all too familiar to Arthur…to use as a means to guide the way. Arthur had actually been willing to consider using it, leaving right then and there to go after his wife, when Gaius had had to play the voice of reason for them and remind them that there would be knights and guards roaming a little into the forest to try and keep watch, that if they saw the orb…they'd be murdered. Or Merlin would and Uther would cry enchantment on his son for accepting the magic his former-servant held.

Arthur had winced at that, hearing the remark about crying enchantment and knowing he'd done the same to Marayna.

"I don't understand why we went to Ealdor in the first place!" he shouted to Merlin as the boy actually raced ahead of him.

"Lapse in judgment," Merlin snapped back at him.

"Merlin!" Arthur called out, unable to hear him with the wind whipping in his ears.

Merlin suddenly pulled back on the reins and turned his horse to Arthur's, nearly making the prince's horse rear up and throw him from the sudden stop, "Aya always ran to our mother when she was truly frightened," he told Arthur quickly, a hard look in his eyes, the man blaming him for all of this, which Arthur knew he had a right to do, "I thought she might have gone back to mum because you, Arthur…you terrify people, Aya worst of all."

"I didn't want that…" Arthur murmured, feeling his heart drop in his stomach to hear that his own wife was scared of him.

"Then you should have thought of that before you banished her and held her at sword point!" Merlin snapped.

"I am sorry Merlin," Arthur cut in, "I AM sorry, SO sorry. I reacted badly, I should have listened, I should have let her talk. I know all this…I am sorry," he finished more quietly, "I am. I just…I want her back. If she'll have me."

"Do you have any idea how much Aya's had to deal with because of you?" Merlin shook his head.

"I…have an idea."

"No you don't," Merlin glared, "By marrying you…she put herself in twice as much danger than she would have been in. As princess…she's watched by EVERYONE, half of them want her to muck it up, so they can go on about how it was a mistake to see a servant as queen. But they're WATCHING her Arthur, everywhere she goes, everyone is waiting and watching and she has to be twice as careful with her magic. Because of YOU. She has to sit there, as the princess, knowing she has more power now, but that she can't do anything for OUR people."

Arthur winced at that, realizing…Marayna really DID have two sets of people to watch out for. He had joked once or twice about 'their' people, meaning the people of Camelot. But that wasn't all she had. She also had people with Merlin, apparently, and Morgana, the magic-users were her people as well.

"Can you even imagine the backlash when the people find out she can't have children?" Merlin continued, "That the future Queen can't produce an heir?" he shook his head, "And when they find out about her magic? If UTHER finds out? My god Arthur, my sister put herself in a perpetual _death trap_ just to be with you, and you banished her at the first example of her magic, never minding that she SAVED your LIFE. Not just the prince, but her HUSBAND, and he nearly murdered her for it."

"Merlin…" Arthur swallowed hard, he really hadn't thought of just how bad it could be for Marayna, just how dangerous being at his side was for her.

"Don't be surprised if she won't have you," Merlin nearly sneered. He knew this wasn't like him, to be so harsh and biting but…his sister was dying, his baby sister…and all because of the man before him.

"Then I shall accept that," Arthur said quietly, "And do all I can to win her back."

Merlin shook his head and looked around, "We have to find her first."

"Is there nowhere else she could have gone?" Arthur asked. They'd tried tracking her, HIM tracking her, but…with the way she'd disappeared, it was near impossible to find a starting track. For all they knew, she'd up and gone right where she ended up and had stayed there.

Merlin rubbed his head, "I don't know," he admitted, his heart heavy, "Aya…when she's scared she wants comfort, she wants our mum…if she didn't go to her…" he trailed off, blinking as he turned in his saddle, looking back a different way.

"What?" Arthur trotted closer, trying to see what Merlin had, "What is it? Do you know where she's gone?"

"I might," he turned back to Arthur, "Aya's magic is more controlled, but it's more tied to her soul, if she wanted to escape, to be comforted, her magic may have reacted that and taken her not to our mum's…but our dad's."

"I thought your father died," Arthur shook his head, recalling that from when the Dragon had escaped.

"Yes," Merlin swallowed hard, "He died in my arms," he told Arthur, looking at him meaningfully, "Some men ARE worth your tears."

Arthur's eyes widened as he made the connection, "Balinor…"

Merlin nodded, "His cave would be seeped in his magic, Aya's might have picked up on it and brought her there!" he turned, about to nudge his horse on, when Arthur reached out and grabbed his arm.

"The legend says that a Dragonlord's magic is given, father to son, upon the father's death," he began, looking at Merlin for a finish to that.

"Did I not mention, I'm a Dragonlord?" Merlin asked.

"No," Arthur rolled his eyes, "That seems to have slipped your mind."

Merlin smirked, "Wait till you find out what titles Aya holds."

"Merlin," Arthur tugged him back as he moved to go on.

"Arthur we don't have time," Merlin reminded him.

"This is important."

"More important than my sister?" Merlin challenged.

"No," Arthur let go of his arm, "Nothing is."

Merlin nodded, but sighed, "What?"

"The Dragon…"

"Kilgharrah," Merlin cut in.

"Who?"

"The Dragon," Merlin explained, "His name is Kilgharrah."

"He has a name?" Arthur blinked.

"Yes," Merlin gave him a look, "And if you don't want to anger Aya more than you have, USE it," he warned, "Kilgharrah's her friend and mine as well."

Arthur shook his head, not even going to ask how his wife had managed to befriend a Dragon, "When he attacked Camelot…you stopped him then?"

Merlin ran a hand through his hair, "I did. I couldn't kill him Arthur," he held up a hand to stop him as Arthur went to undoubtedly shout at him about that, "He's the last of his kind, he's watched all his kin murdered by your father, he's been chained up and forced to listen to other magic-users and magical creatures being killed…I would NOT kill him too," he gave Arthur a hard look, "I stopped him, I ordered him to leave Camelot and to NEVER attack again. I made him swear he would show mercy from now on."

Arthur swallowed hard, trying to accept that, trying to at least, "And his escape?"

"You won't like it."

"I won't say a word," Arthur swore.

"Your word doesn't mean much to me," Merlin told him, "You also swore to love and cherish my sister."

Arthur bit his lip at that, the defense of 'that's different' was getting old and if he didn't have a better excuse than that, then he didn't have a justified excuse at all, "If I say anything, it'll stall our search for her more," he tried, "I will remain silent, but I want to know."

Merlin looked at him a moment, "The Dragon had been helping us protect Camelot since we arrived there, acting as our advisor, gifting us with weapons to fight Wraiths like the Black Knight, spells to stop sorceresses, like Nimueh, ways to stop others from harming the kingdom…but only if we promised, _on our mother's life_," he added meaningfully, making sure Arthur saw how serious a promise that was, "That we would one day free him."

Arthur, true to his word, was silent, even as Merlin turned his horse and raced off, the prince after him, trying his best to process all that he'd been told without letting the anger and betrayal consume him to find out what they had done behind his back, clinging to the knowledge that they had done more good beyond that moment, and that his wife was dying as they rode to keep him in check.

~8~

Merlin and Arthur rode harder than ever through the forests, faster than the wind if felt, Merlin leading the way back to Balinor's cave, knowing the way better than Arthur as he had been conscious when they'd gone there first. He could feel it as well, the nearer they got to the cave, the magic radiating off of it. It was familiar, like the Dragonlord power, but also…there was something else there as well. And he knew what it was, he could feel it even now, his sister's magic.

He nearly fell off his horse in relief when he caught that familiar flutter of Marayna's magic mixed with Balinor's. But he tried his best not to let it get to him too much, he had to be strong, he had to STAY strong…because that flutter…it was getting weaker. He was cursing himself for his haste in getting to his sister, because he and Arthur had NO time to prepare at all. Uther, ever since Morgana had been hurt, had been fretting over her more than ever. He wouldn't ever let her leave the castle now for more than a trip to her father's grave and he insisted on accompanying her himself. There was no way to get Morgana out of the castle without Uther finding out or finding her missing and losing his head again. She had to remained in Camelot for this and he could tell they would need her and her skills desperately. He'd tried to study up on the transportation spell Marayna had learned, but he doubted he'd had enough time. He was hoping he could make it up as he went, or call the Dragon, or reach a Druid, or something that would help him help his sister when they got to her.

They just had to get there in time.

He tried not to think about what was going through Arthur's mind now that he knew THEY had released the Dragon. He hoped he would recall that not many had died, that Kilgharrah seemed to have just attacked the castle but not specifically targeted the people. He hoped Arthur would remember that they had been responsible for sending the Dragon away, that their father had died in Arthur's quest to bring him back. That they had lost far more than he had in that attack, that they had to live with the guilt of it all, and that they had done all they could to try and keep the damage minimal. He hoped that Arthur's fear for his sister had done something to help him focus and remember what they'd told him.

As they'd had to wait for daylight to go out, they had made sure to tell Arthur as much as they could about exactly what they'd done for Camelot with magic. Merlin could admit he'd focused a bit more on what his sister had done for Camelot, he wanted Arthur to realize just how badly he had mucked it up with Marayna in banishing her. He didn't care if his own exploits were toned down (though Morgana saw to it that Arthur was well aware of just what HE had done for Camelot as well) he just wanted Arthur to realize his sister's hand in it all.

Arthur had been silent through it all, taking it all in, and he could see, at times, a sort of shock in Arthur's eyes as he realized just how much they had sacrificed and given up and faced down for him. How many times over they'd saved his life had shocked him, all the comments they'd made of the times they'd saved him clicking in his mind. All the small threats of what they could do to him, making sense now. Merlin had just hoped that, if they could overload him with all the good they'd done, then Arthur would just be too stunned to process that they both really DID have magic and had used it under his nose and had done more for Camelot than he knew.

But he really didn't care what Arthur was thinking right now, because that tug in his soul that he knew was his sisters…it was getting dangerously faint.

"There!" Merlin shouted, pointing ahead at the cave as they came within sight of it.

Arthur, for his part, had been quite shocked to see just how agile his former-servant was when, before the horse had even stopped, Merlin had jumped off of it and took off for the cave, not even slowing down, not stumbling or tripping or anything. He quickly dismounted himself, rushing after him, managing to catch up to him rather quickly though…

Only for the two of them to go flying backwards as they ran into something solid and decidedly invisible. They groaned, pushing themselves to their feet and looked around for what it might be.

"Oh no," Merlin breathed, before he quickly made his way back to the mouth of the cave, Arthur watching him as Merlin slowed, holding out his hand and ending up pushing on something that wasn't there…like a clear wall that wouldn't give no matter what he did.

"What is it?" Arthur joined him, pressing his hand out, feeling it as well, "It's…warm…"

"It's Aya," Merlin muttered, "It's her magic…it's sensing a threat and keeping her protected. It won't let us in…"

"A threat?" Arthur frowned, but Merlin just shot him a pointed look, making him swallow.

"Aya!" Merlin turned back to the wall, trying to shout through it, hoping he could, and moving side to side in an effort to try and see his sister, knowing the cave wasn't THAT deep, "Aya!" he moved as far to the side as he could and took in a sharp breath, "Marayna!"

Arthur ran to his side, knowing Merlin NEVER called his sister by her full name if he could help it, and nearly gasped as he saw what Merlin had. Halfway into the cave, just barely in the shadows, was a lump…a lump of clothes with black at the end. He could recognize it even from there, the white tunic she'd worn of his to the picnic they'd had, seeming gray with dirt and sweat, her black leggings, her boots, her hair was tangled. Her back was to them but…he could see it…a red patch on the back of the tunic.

"No…" he breathed, seeing Merlin's guess might be correct, she may have really taken his would for herself.

"Marayna," Merlin crouched down, "Wake up! Aya please!"

But Marayna didn't move.

"Can't…can't you break it down?" Arthur looked at him, they had to DO something, get to her somehow.

"No," he shook his head, "This is magic that's tied to her," Merlin tried to explain, "It's not a spell, it's raw magic, if I attack it it'll use more of her energy to strengthen the wall and I don't know how much she has left."

Merlin swallowed hard and closed his eyes, pressing his fingers to his temples…

"Merlin now is NOT the time for napping!" Arthur snapped.

"Shut up Arthur!" Merlin fired right back, startling the prince, "You don't know anything about magic so be quiet and let me save my sister!"

Arthur quieted down, watching as Merlin closed his eyes once more, not sure what he was doing, but hoping that it would work.

'_Aya?_' Merlin called out to her in his mind, '_Aya please…wake up. Aya, wake up!_' he scrunched his eyes shut tighter, '_Marayna! Please!_'

He nearly cried when he heard the faintest whisper of, '_…Murry?_' in his mind.

'_Yes,_' he nodded, '_Yes, it's me. Aya take down the wall. I need to help you._'

'_No._'

His eyes shot open and he could see her shifting, waking. He pressed his hands to the invisible wall, '_Aya, please! You're dying, I need to help you!_'

'_You can't…_' she whimpered.

'_Yes I can,_' he insisted, '_You're my sister, I have to TRY!_'

'_But you're not here…_'

'_What?_' he let out a breath, confused.

'_You're not really here. You're never here…_'

'_Aya yes I am,_' he insisted, feeling his heart clench painfully to realize she must have imagined him coming to rescue her and help her so many times in the last few days only to realize it was a dream. He tried to bang on the wall, hoping it might make a sound so she could hear him, '_I'm here. I swear it. Aya, take down the wall and I'll prove it…_' he waited a moment but the wall remained, '_Aya please…please let it down…_'

He and Arthur's heads snapped up when they heard a pained groan moments before Merlin nearly fell forward, the wall disappearing. He recovered quickly, scrambling to Marayna's side, gently rolling her over as Arthur moved to her other side, their eyes widening in horror at what they saw.

The entire front of her tunic was nearly stained a dark red, her gut had a deep wound to it that was crusting over, but the skin around it was red and inflamed. Merlin felt nearly sick when he noticed there was a sick green tinge to the flesh at the edges, black spots appearing near the wound itself. His sister's forehead and body was drenched with sweat, her forehead on fire despite her shaking like a leaf.

"How is she still alive?" Arthur had to breathe out, seeing her like this…the state she was in, a lesser man would have already succumbed to the wound and died and all he could think was…magic. Maybe her natural magic had allowed her to hang on.

It had been the wrong thing to say by the worst person as Marayna's eyes snapped open at the sound of his voice and turned to him, a haze in her eyes clearing for one brief moment, before she started struggling, making the wound worse.

"Aya!" Merlin tried to hold her still, "Aya stop!"

But he could tell by her fearful whimpers, from the strangled groans as she tried to move farther away from Arthur that the sight of the man had scared her. He understood, he hoped Arthur would too, that the last memory she had of him was of the man condemning her to banishment with his sword pointed at her, for her to see him in such a feverish state…if she'd dreamed of her brother coming to save her, surely she had to have dreamed of her husband coming to kill her as well.

"Marayna!" Merlin tried to get through to her, "Be still, you need to stop! You're going to hurt yourself worse!" he could feel her slowing but knew it had nothing to do with a will to stop struggling and more a quickly fading strength, "He's not going to hurt you," he looked at Arthur with tears in his eyes, "I won't let him."

Arthur swallowed hard, "Mara I…" he reached out for her, but she flinched back further into Merlin's hold.

"Don't," Merlin warned him, "Don't agitate her any more, I need her to…Aya?" he looked down suddenly when his sister went limp right in his arms, "Aya!"

"What's wrong?" Arthur shuffled closer, "What happened?!"

"Aya?" Merlin tried to shake her awake, but she wasn't waking, she was hardly breathing, "The strain's too much…the wound is infected, it's killing her…"

"So save her then!" Arthur snapped, tears in his eyes to see his wife like that and not be able to do a thing to help her…while Merlin could.

"I'm going to," Merlin determined, nodding his head fiercely, laying her down on the cold stone as flat as he could get her, "I don't care if you have me executed for magic, Arthur," Merlin glanced at him, "I'm going to save my sister."

Arthur looked him straight in the eye, "Save my wife, and I'll have you knighted. Anything you want, just…" he looked at her, his heart clenching painfully, "Just save her Merlin…I made a mistake, and I'm _sorry_," he looked back at the girl's brother, "I'm _so_ sorry and…I need to tell her that, I need to prove it. I…I love her Merlin," his voice broke, "I can't lose her anymore than you can," he swallowed hard, "Do it."

Merlin nodded, not that he needed Arthur's permission, he was going to do it anyway, but to hear Arthur telling him to use magic…it was a step.

He looked down at his sister, reaching out to touch her cheek a moment, "It'll be alright Aya," he whispered to her, "Where I go, you go…and I'm not going anywhere."

He took a breath, reaching down to place both his hands on her abdomen, pressing lightly on the wound, and closed his eyes. Just…concentrating, wanting her healed. He didn't know a spell, he didn't know one well enough to mutter an incantation correctly. Morgana was the healer among them and they'd all agreed to take different areas of magic to try and focus on, build up their strength in one area to really be able to do something with it. Morgana was healing, he was defense, and Marayna was offense.

He didn't care though, he needed to help his sister and his magic…his magic had always been powerful. He was going to do this, he was going to heal her, he was going to get her better and make sure she lived if it was the last thing he did.

Arthur sat there, crouched beside Marayna, watching as Merlin's eyes snapped open, flashing gold, brighter than Marayna's had, and stared in fascination as the black spots dissolved, drifting to the air, the green fading to pink, the skin around the wound lightening to peach as the wound itself started to close…he nearly cried when Marayna took a deep breath, though her eyes remained closed…

He looked at Merlin, needing to know, "Merlin…"

Merlin was panting as he looked at his sister, checking the wound as it healed over, completely fading, her skin perfect again, and the boy really did cry as he scooped his sister into his arms, cradling her as he rocked her back and forth, "She's ok," he breathed, hugging her tightly, "She'll be ok…"

Arthur fell back onto his bum, letting out a breath he hadn't known he was holding and watching the siblings before him, Merlin whispering to his sister, brushing her sweaty locks from her face, behind her ears, her skin still paler than it should be, but the pain was gone from her face.

He looked away, seeing the love between the siblings and knew…he would have…A LOT to make up for with his wife.

~8~

Marayna slowly woke, feeling her head pounding and stuffy, like it was full of sand, and looked around. She felt warm, but one she realize was both one from being in a warm place and also from a fever. And that was when she noticed where she was…her chambers, hers and Arthur's. She was back in Camelot, a fire going in the fireplace, there were candles lit as it was dark outside. She was…wearing different clothes than she remembered, her night dress actually and not the blood soaked tunic she had spent the last few days in. Her leggings were gone, as were her boots, but she could see the boots across the room by the wall…

Her sight must have been more blurry than she realized because something she hadn't noticed, moved beside her, and a cold cloth was placed onto her head. She let her eyes fall closed a moment, "What did you tell your father Arthur?"

The hand that had been placing the cool compress stilled.

She knew it was him, she could smell him, a distinct smell that was just him. Even if she hadn't caught sight of him, she knew it was still him. She…honestly wasn't sure how to feel to know she was back.

She had a dream, one she was now realizing likely wasn't a dream if she was really back in Camelot. She'd dreamed Merlin and Arthur had come for her, that Merlin had healed her, that ARTHUR had told him to use his magic to do it, that he wanted to apologize to her or something. She'd felt a warmth in her stomach and then just…nothing. To wake up there…to have Arthur, of all people, tending to her given what he'd said when he'd thrown her out…it couldn't be a dream. Arthur knew, he knew about her magic and Merlin's as well, probably even Morgana's. He'd TOLD Merlin to use it and…she hadn't felt anything in her that said Merlin was dead or in distress so the chances were that Arthur accepted his magic…and hers.

She sighed, opening her eyes to turn her head to him, wincing as it made her head pound.

"Don't," Arthur nearly leapt forward, before pulling back, as though afraid what her reaction would be to his sudden move, "I…don't move too quickly…Gaius said you'll be sore and that you'll need more time to heal and…"

"And what did you tell your father?" she repeated.

Arthur blinked, feeling his heart drop as he realized why she was asking. It was so…foreign to him, to think of his life being constantly in danger, despite being the prince, but Merlin was right. Marayna had put her life in a constant state of danger, being on the cusp of always being discovered…because of him. Her first thought wasn't of her own health, but if her magic had been discovered, if she was going to be executed. How…hard that had to be, he thought for a moment, to wake up so fearful that you'd be killed in a moment. This…was not something he wanted for his wife, he didn't want her to fear that. He didn't want her to wake up and fear for her life, not ever, and not from him.

"I told him Hunith sent word she required your help," he explained, "I implied she was ill and you were tending to her."

"And that my current illness was taken from her?" she guessed.

"Yes," he nodded, "I told him that I had received word you'd be returning and, when you had not by the set time, went out with Merlin to search for you. I told him we found you unconscious and burning up. Gaius tending to you helped add to that."

She nodded, wincing again at the move, "And…what WILL you tell him?"

"Nothing," he said instantly, making her look at him, a blank look on her face, like she was trying to hide how she was feeling, hide her fears and hopes, just…wanting to see what he'd do. He reached out hesitantly, slowly, wanting to give her a chance to pull away if she wished but…he was able to take her hand, "Mara I…" he shook his head, struggling to find the words to express how sorry he was, how devastated he felt for what he'd done to her and nothing of what she had hidden from him.

"Partly my fault," she offered as an opening, "I _should have_ told you Arthur. I should have told you BEFORE we wed. I just…I thought I'd have more time."

He gave her a small smile, "My father did spring that wedding on us a bit suddenly didn't he?" he tried to laugh, but he couldn't, this was just…too serious, "Mara I…I cannot even begin to express how truly sorry I am. How much I hate myself for…for reacting like my father would have. I am _not_ him, I do not…I do not want to be him. I thought I did, when I was younger I wanted to be just like him. But…meeting you," he looked at her intensely, "I want to be better than him. I want to be someone who listens and who…who sees a whole story and…I failed that. I failed YOU. And that kills me," he swallowed hard, "That tears my heart out that I betrayed you that way, that I didn't even give you a chance to explain…"

"I betrayed you too," she whispered, "Magic IS against the law still. I have magic. And I didn't tell you about it. It was unfair of me and…" she let out a soft breath, "You reacted better than I thought you would at worst."

"And worst was?"

"You running me through or dragging me before Uther to out me as a sorceress," she said bluntly, making him wince.

"Not ever," he swore to her, lifting her hand to press it to his heart, "Whatever I thought of why I felt what I did for you…I could never bear to see either happen Mara. I…" he took a breath, "I know that I am NOT enchanted, well…" he tried to smile, "I am enchanted with YOU," he offered, "And love…is a magic all its own. You did bewitch me…but in the most human, mortal way."

She smiled a bit at that, "I really DO love you Arthur," she said, her voice breaking as tears filled her eyes, "And it hurt," her voice broke more, "It hurt so much that you thought…"

"I know," he cut her off, not wanting to see her cry, not over this, "I can never apologize enough for that Mara."

They fell into silence for a long while, just looking at each other intently, trying to read the other, "I'm hurt…and I'm angry," she admitted, before closing her eyes, "And you are too," she had to say, "We both hurt each other, and we both caused the other pain…"

"Me more than you," he interrupted gently, "You saved my life Mara, and you nearly died because of what I did…I hurt you so much worse. I will spend the rest of my life proving my love and loyalty to you," he swore, "And I beg of you…don't forsake me?"

"I am your wife," she told him gently, squeezing his hand, "If you can accept my magic…I can accept your apology."

He nodded, "I accept all of you," he told her.

He knew, he knew it would take a very long time before they got back to where they were. He had a whole new side of her to learn about, and she had to learn to trust him again. She may forgive him, she blamed herself in part for not having told him sooner, but she would need time.

"I think I should warn you though…" she murmured, starting to drift off again in the warmth of the room and having him tending to her.

"What?" he whispered.

"In the realm of magic," she watched him closely for his reaction but, to his credit, he took her mention of magic in stride, "I...I'm actually the um, High Priestess of the Old Religion."

Arthur blinked at her quite a few times, "Oh…" he nodded, trying his best to take it in without letting on how startled he was to learn that.

"That wasn't the warning," she smiled at him a bit and he could see something dangerous in it.

"Right," he gave her his full attention.

"Among the magic-users…the High Priestess is essentially the Queen," her smile turned a bit smirk-like, "I out rank you," she added in a quiet sing-song way, making him laugh.

"Well then, my Queen," he went with it, not about to let that knowledge or anything ruin his chance to make it all up to her, "You should take your rest now."

"That still wasn't the warning," she laughed.

"And what is it?" he asked, honestly curious now.

"Banish me again…and you'll have an army of sorcerers, warlocks, and Druids to face down...and a Dragon."

Arthur blinked at that and stared at her, seeing her raise her eyebrow and widen her smirk, seeing she was completely serious and cleared his throat.

But Marayna wasn't done just yet, "And that's AFTER you've faced down my brother."

A/N: ...I'm not sure what would be scarier to Arthur, an army of sorcerers/warlocks/druids/dragons...or an angry Merlin. I sort of think it would be Merlin lol :) I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, I tried not to keep Marayna away for too long ;)

And I want to thank you guys so much for your welcome backs :) I was very touched and I'm SO glad to be back and posting this story again ^.-^

I apologize for not being back on tumblr yesterday, I had work to make up for for my class last night that took longer than I thought it would and I didn't get back till late :( But I should be on at some point today with a new episode cover to post too ;)

Some notes on reviews...

My boss...I think he's losing it a little. He's an older gentleman and his memory isn't exactly great. So he'd ask for papers that he thought he gave me, and when I searched my entire desk (after telling him I didn't have them) he'd 'find them' and give me copies...then a few days later search my desk for the papers and then ask me why I lied about not having them :/ He's searched my desk, my emails, my files/folders, and my trash. Not like I had anything epic to hide, it's literally all accounting lol. I'm a particular fan of when he forgot that it's the other girl in the office who handles the bills for everything and blamed me for not telling him to make a credit card payment when we ended up being late on it. -sigh- He's not even that old but his mind is going just a little I think :(

I can say we'll be getting 2 chapters for Merlin next Monday ;) I'm going to try and post 2 chapters on some specific holidays/dates to make up for not posting for the last week :)

Marayna's not getting the title nope, she's already got it from when she faced down Nimueh ;) Morgause has a few more tricks up her sleeves though, but I won't say what :) I think it was more Merlin and Arthur to the rescue here ;)

I can say Morgause won't take Morgana's appearance to take the throne, nope, we'll have to wait and see what she does ;)

You guessed it! ^-^ She transferred Arthur's wound to her :( But thanks so much! I'm glad you're enjoying the stories so far :)

I'm definitely back to updating daily yup ;) The only time I won't is when the site glitches and doesn't let people post :( Fingers crossed they've fixed that though :)

We can try to hurt Arthur sure :) Merlin would so lead that crusade ;)

Thank you for the salute! ;) I actually have a very vague idea for a Hunger Games story lol :)

Oh I can say we'll see a little bit of dark Morgana pop up in the future }:)

Lol, I love Merlin's angst and anger, he's just such a light-hearted person that writing him angry is fun :)

I can't wait for those episodes too :) Oh Mara will be kicking enemy butt and Arthur's butt all over ;)


	16. Love in the Time of Dragons

Love in the Time of Dragons

Marayna frowned as she sat in court, shifting in her...throne. Oh it was very…odd…to be sitting on a throne instead of standing with Merlin off to the side with Gaius, she missed it, but now her brother at least still stood beside her. It was even more odd because Uther had changed the seating on the dais that the 'nobles' sat upon. There were still two thrones in the middle, but instead of one being empty, Uther had claimed it was time for Arthur to start stepping into his role as Crowned Prince, especially after what happened with the mandrake root. Uther wanted to make sure that Arthur was prepared to take up the role of King if need be. He was slowly but surely giving Arthur more of a ruling influence in the kingdom, slowly showing him how to be king. As such, Arthur now sat beside his father on the two main thrones. There was a smaller throne set up on either side of the two main ones, Morgana sitting on the right one, on Uther's side, Gwen standing beside her, behind the chair, while Marayna sat on Arthur's side, Merlin beside her as well.

"Gaius, there have been disturbing rumors from outlying villages," Uther began as Gaius stood before him.

"Sire?"

"Someone, some kind of physician is offering treatments. I fear magic may have been used."

"What is it that makes you suspicious?"

"There are reports of miracle cures. A boy thrown from a horse," Uther listed as Marayna flinched at that, Merlin putting a hand on her shoulder in comfort, both of them thinking on when SHE had been thrown from her horse as a small girl, "A farmhand mauled by a boar. All hopeless cases it seems, and yet each and every one has made a full recovery."

"It's very hard for me to comment, Sire," Gaius shook his head, "I'd have to examine the patients myself."

"That won't be necessary, as a new case has arisen here in Camelot."

"Who?"

"The innkeeper," Arthur replied, "He's returned to work."

"That's not possible," Gaius shook his head, thinking of the man and the diagnosis he'd given, "The condition was critical, I saw him only days ago."

"So you agree that magic must be involved?" Uther looked at him.

Gaius hesitated though, not wanting to say anything to spark another witch hunt, especially not after what had happened with Arthur and Marayna, the boy was still recovering from learning everything his former servants had done for him, still trying to process some of the consequences of what they'd done as well. He hadn't said much about magic since then, it had only been a week or two though, HE had been the one to suggest to his wards that they give Arthur time, let him come to them with questions and requests instead of overloading him more by bringing up magic constantly. It seemed now they'd have no choice.

"Well, I couldn't say for sure..." he began diplomatically.

"Then go to the tavern and find out," Uther ordered, "If sorcery is at work here, we must act quickly."

"Yes, Sire," Gaius gave a bow, "I'll see to it right away."

"Might I accompany him, your majesty?" Morgan asked. IF it was magic, which it likely was, it was _healing_ magic and she was always eager to learn more about that craft.

Arthur gave her a small smile for that, guessing where her mind had gone. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but still had doubts, small though they may be, that magic wasn't entirely evil but…it was getting smaller and smaller every day, he _was_ fighting _decades_ of his father's teachings to do it. But having heard of everything Merlin and Marayna had done for him, all Morgana had been through, what she was currently learning…it _did_ ease those last lingering minor doubts a little. Because here Morgana was, trying to learn more about HEALING.

"Of course," Uther nodded, thinking his ward merely concerned for the people.

Morgana smiled.

~8~

Morgana sighed as she walked with Gaius through the towns, her arm linked through his, Merlin and Marayna remaining with Arthur in the castle as she had volunteered to go with Gaius instead, "It's unbelievable," she murmured, "Uther will turn to magic instantly if his family is in danger."

"Love makes us do strange things," Gaius smiled at her.

"He is a hypocrite though," she frowned, it wasn't fair that he would break his own laws and not be punished, something Marayna had touched upon more than once she knew.

"He's also the King."

"That shouldn't put him above his own laws."

Gaius had to nod at that, "True, but we are in no position to remind him of that. Especially not you, my Lady."

She frowned, "Why? I'm the King's ward, his…" she dropped her voice, "Secret daughter," before speaking normally again, "I've told him that before…"

"And ended up in chains for it," he reminded her, giving her hand on his arm a pat, "If anything happened to you Morgana, Merlin would never be able to survive that. You know what he'd do to save you."

She smiled softly but nodded, "He'd expose his secrets to save me."

"And then fingers would be pointed at Marayna and everything you all have worked so hard for would fall to pieces."

She sighed, "I suppose you're right."

"Welcome!" the innkeeper greeted, seeing Gaius and Morgana approaching, "Gaius, my Lady," he bowed a bit, "What a pleasant surprise."

"Evoric," Gaius nodded though he eyed the joyful and energetic man, a far cry from the man who had barely been able to muster the strength to breathe or open his eyes only days ago.

"What can I get you?"

"Nothing. I just dropped in to see how you're doing."

"Much improved," the man held out his arms with a wide grin on his face, "As you can see."

"Indeed," Gaius remarked, "Remarkable recovery."

"All thanks to you, Gaius."

"I think not Evoric," he gave the man a pointed look, "I am, of course, delighted that you're well again, but I must ask you, from whom did you obtain your remedy?"

"Don't know what you're talking about," Evoric started shifting.

"Please don't be afraid," Morgana said softly, reaching out to put a hand on the man's arm, "We're not the king," she smiled, "And I have spoken out against him on more than one occasion. Whatever secret you have, it is safe with us."

The man sighed, "My wife, she was desperate. I was slipping away."

"Go on," Gaius urged.

"She met a woman, a healer, in the Lower Town and she gave her a cure."

"Well, can I see it?" Evoric nodded and turned, pulling out a small bottle for him to look at, a small breath of colored gas rising from it as he uncorked it, "Interesting. Morgana?" he handed it to her, knowing she had been taking to her studies in medicines.

"Hogwart and Fenugreek," she murmured, sniffing it, but also frowning at the bottle, she could almost feel the magic in it. It was...not unlike another sense she'd been getting, off of a totem hanging on the wall just above where Evoric was standing. She could just make out runes etched into it.

"Am I in some kind of trouble?" the innkeeper frowned.

"No, not at all," Morgana smiled, handing the bottle back, her attention returned to the two men before her.

"You've been most helpful," Gaius nodded before turning to lead Morgana out.

~8~

"What was the nature of this treatment?" Uther asked as Morgana and Gaius returned to call the court with their findings later that day.

"Hogwart and fenugreek," Gaius repeated what Morgana had.

"Excuse me?"

"They're herbs, my Lord," Morgana explained, Uther well aware of her new-found desire to learn the medicinal arts. She'd brought it up to him after she'd been attacked by Morgause, said that it had given her a revelation, that she wanted to know how to help tend to those 'who had been attacked by sorcerers' knowing she had to add that last part in to get Uther to agree. Anything done in the defense against magic-users he would be thrilled with. Even if she was really just trying to have an excuse to be able to spend hours with Gaius and really learn instead of sneaking off to get lessons from him.

Gaius nodded, "Whoever prescribed them was highly skilled. Their grasp of the five principles of herbal conjoinment was..."

"What about the boy and the laborer?" Uther asked, "Surely _they_ were beyond the help of such remedies?"

"Not necessarily, Sire. A physician's art can achieve great things."

"But not miracles," Uther kept insisting, making Morgana shift and Arthur glance at her and then his father.

It was as though he were just seeing for the first time how his father was almost LOOKING for magic to be there when it might not be. Even though HE knew there likely was magic involved, for his father to be so...adamant about it...it was like he wanted magic to be the cause so he could kill another sorcerer, forgetting that they'd been helping and healing people. He winced at that thought, HE'D reacted the same to Marayna, she'd saved his life and he'd banished her. He'd used to be so proud when people would call him 'truly Uther's son' and now...now he'd rather be Ygraine's son than Uther's.

"The innkeeper was fatally ill, you said so yourself."

"Yes, that was indeed my diagnosis," Gaius agreed, "But my knowledge isn't perfect. There are many branches of my craft are yet mysteries to me. I could not heal the innkeeper. Someone else could."

"Are you absolutely satisfied that no magic was involved?" Uther kept pressing.

"Entirely, Sire," he nodded, a firm note to his voice.

Merlin, Marayna, Gwen, and Arthur, however noticed the look on Morgana's face as Gaius blatantly lied to the king.

"Thank you, Gaius," Uther sighed and no one could tell it if was relieved no magic was involved or disappointed that someone wasn't going to be executed for magic, "You've set my mind at rest."

"My Lord," he nodded, turning to go.

~8~

"Just how many times have you lied to my father, Gaius?" Arthur asked as the five of them gathered in the physician's chambers shortly after court.

He'd...actually seen Marayna and Merlin exchanging glances with Morgana before they slipped out of the room while he'd been finishing speaking with his father and managed to catch up with them, going with them to Gaius's. He had to admit he felt a bit out of place sitting at the end of the workbench, Marayna and Gwen on one side, Merlin and Morgana on the other, Gaius on the other end, discussing magic and lying. It wasn't a suspicious question, but genuinely curious. The man was his father's best friend yet lied so easily to him.

"About as many times as Merlin and Marayna have to you," Gaius remarked, "To save another's life."

"I think it's great, what you did," Gwen cut in, not wanting another tense sitting with Arthur sulking over the fact that Merlin and Marayna and Morgana had kept such a secret from him, he seemed to alternate from being impressed and indebted to them for their deeds and very depressed and sorrowful that they hadn't told him earlier. She understood though, it was a VERY big shock to find out your wife, your 'sister,' and your former-servant ALL had magic and had been keeping it from you and Arthur, after getting Marayna back, was doing much better than she thought he'd be...almost too well really, "Protecting the innkeeper like that."

"What do you mean?" Gaius looked at her.

"He was a sick man," Merlin shrugged, "It was a matter of life and death. Magic was his only hope."

"But he didn't use magic."

"The potion _was_ enchanted," Morgana shook her head, "I sensed it, I saw it with my own eyes. We both did."

"What you saw was a release of gaseous pressure," Gaius shook his head, "Entirely normal in a preparation of that kind."

"But what about the totem?" Morgana frowned.

"What totem?" he tried to sound flippant about it, but they could all hear a tension in his voice.

"The totem in the innkeeper's doorway," Morgana said, and Gaius stiffened, clearly not having expected her to have noticed it, "It bore the marks of the Old Religion."

"Nonsense."

"Uncle," Marayna cut in, giving him an unamused look, "You're nowhere near as good a liar as me. Tell us."

He sighed, nodding to himself, "The totem was enchanted yes, as was the potion."

"Was that so hard?" Marayna asked, "Uncle, look around you," she gestured at them all, "You've got the king's ward, the king's daughter-in-law, _and_ the king's son sitting here, not even blinking at the fact that we're talking about enchantments. _None_ of us are running to the king, are we?" she shot a pointed look at Arthur who shook his head and held up his hands, and she smiled back at Gaius, "See? So go on, tell us, who was it?"

He sighed, "I cannot be sure, and that_ is_ the truth," he added, seeing her open her mouth, "But…I will look into it, alone," he added again, seeing them_ all_ open their mouths, "If it is who I think, then…I _must_ do this alone."

"Why?" Gwen frowned, concerned.

"Because it is a dear friend that I have not seen in more years than I can count."

They nodded, understanding, it was a personal thing for Gaius. The person had clearly fled the Purge and was very important to the man. They could let him have this moment.

"I do expect you to tell us when you've learned their identity," Arthur remarked, speaking for the first time in a while, "I may not be telling my father this, but I _would_ like to know what magic-users are in my kingdom."

Gaius nodded, that was only fair.

~8~

They could tell by the smile on Gaius's face the next morning that he'd not only found his old friend, but met them as well, "What's her name?" Marayna asked, knowing THAT smile could only come from a female friend.

"Alice," he sighed as he looked at the small group gathering around his chambers once more, Morgana and Gwen there under the assumption that she was attending her 'lessons' with the man, Marayna and Arthur as 'checking the facts' with Gaius about the potion or so Uther believed, and Merlin under the ruse of inquiring if his uncle needed any herbs picked now that he'd lost his two dogsbodies to nobility yet they still wanted to help when they could, "She's an old friend. Well, _more_ than a friend, if truth be told."

"What do you mean?" Gwen started to smile, having a guess what that 'more' was.

"We were once engaged to be married."

"When?" Arthur frowned, unable to recall _ever_ seeing Gaius with a woman in all his life.

"More years ago than I care to remember," he smiled wistfully as he thought back on that time, "I had just been made physician to the King when I met her. It was like finding a kindred spirit, we had so much in common. Our love of science, or healing, and of magic."

"Magic?" Merlin started to grin as well, taking Morgana's hand, feeling exactly the same about her.

"I was just a novice," he nodded, "But Alice's power and ability was uncanny. She had the gift much like yours Morgana. Soon she had mastered every aspect of sorcery, healing above all. It was wonderful to behold. She saved a great many lives."

"I hope I can do that one day," Morgana breathed, touched by the comparison, she could only hope to one day be as great a healer as this Alice seemed to be.

"It was Alice that cured the innkeeper then?" Arthur guessed, "With…magic?"

"Indeed," Gaius nodded, "There was a time when her skills were famous in Camelot."

"So what happened?" Gwen frowned.

"What do you think?" Marayna shook her head, "What always happens. The Purge."

Gaius nodded sadly, "Uther declared war on magic. Overnight her world was turned upside-down."

Arthur tensed as he listened. No one really talked about exactly what went on during the Purge around him. He'd been given entirely biased lessons about it, ones that glorified what his father had done, justified it. But really, he'd learned more from Marayna's rants about the things his father had done, the terrible, awful, cruel things, than he had from all his tutors. True, her thoughts were probably biased against the Purge, but...it did help balance out his image of it in his mind.

"Uther drew up a list of everyone suspected of using magic," Gaius continued, "One by one, they were hunted down and executed."

"Only the _suspected_?" Merlin frowned, "Not even the proven?"

"He didn't want to take that chance," Gaius remarked, "As a close friend of the King, I was permitted to see this list. Alice's name was on it."

"What did you do?" Morgana gasped, already guessing.

"The only thing I could do. I struck her name off."

"Gaius, if you'd been caught..." Arthur frowned, realizing just how far back Gaius's desire to protect those with magic went...no, how far his desire to protect those he loved went. He'd seen it before but hadn't thought on it, when Gaius would take the blame or accusation of magic for his wards, he'd thought nothing of it before because he hadn't known they'd really HAD magic. He'd thought them all innocent but now, knowing that Gaius knew...it put the man's bravery and deeds in a whole new light.

"I know, but it bought her time. Just enough to get out of Camelot, to escape."

"But you...you stayed behind," Gwen frowned, tears in her eyes.

"I was scared," Gaius admitted for the first time exactly what he'd felt during the Purge, it was so easy to forget, looking at him now, at how easily he stood near Uther, how well his life had gone, that it had truly been a hellish nightmare for years at the start of it all, "I felt I had no choice. If I left too…Uther would have known. He would have hunted us both down…"

"But you're his _friend_," Arthur shook his head, "He wouldn't have hunted you."

"He nearly had him burnt at the stake Arthur," Marayna reminded him.

"And he had OUR father hunted across borders," Merlin added.

"He's thrown me in the dungeons for just _speaking_ about magic," Morgana shook her head.

"And nearly had me executed because my father survived an illness," Gwen sighed.

Gaius nodded, "Your father is a remarkable man Arthur, but even you must admit, when he so much as hears the word magic, logic leaves him," Arthur sighed but nodded, he had been noticing that more and more, "I thought I'd never see Alice again after that. But now here she is, after all these years," he let out a happy breath, smiling widely at the thought, "I feel we've been given a second chance."

"So go after it!" Marayna urged him, getting up to hug him, "Believe my Uncle, I've experienced it, no matter what, always take every chance you have to be with the one you love."

Arthur smiled, reaching out to take her hand and press a kiss to it, she never should have had all those chances. No, it should have been him and her from the beginning, no chances needed just a steady and continuous event, but he'd been a fool and made it so much more complicated, so much more painful for her, yet here she was, here _they_ were, together at last.

And that was the way it would stay.

~8~

Merlin and Arthur were in a small clearing as Arthur practiced his weapons, he'd organized this little retreat, this private session, telling the knights he was going to try and train up Merlin a bit, test his skills without exposing him to the embarrassment of being beaten repeatedly by HIM...because he'd been curious for a while now exactly what Marayna and Merlin could do. He knew they'd used their magic for good, but…they'd been at his side every battle, coming out unscathed, helping him apparently while fighting and watching out for each other. So he had to wonder...what were they like defending themselves?

He rode his horse at a small hoop Merlin was holding above his head, catching it with his lance, hoping Merlin would have levitated it or _something_, made it move. So, later, he tried pounding away at him with a mace as he hid behind a shield.

"Come on, Merlin! Put effort it to it!"

"How?" Merlin asked, "I'm not exactly as big as you."

Arthur stared at him, hitting the shield again, "You've got magic don't you?"

"Yeah…" he frowned not sure where this was going.

"In battle, use every advantage you have," Arthur told him, "Didn't you once say you could take me apart with less than a word?"

"Yes," Merlin started smirking, "But Arthur…Aya and I have spent our whole lives _not_ using magic where others could see…"

"Do you see anyone else?" Arthur asked, gesturing around the field.

Merlin laughed, realizing why they were there, "Alright, just…remember you asked for it."

Arthur turned and grabbed a large mallet, "Let's see what you've got," he readied it behind him, lifting it, not seeing Merlin's eyes flashing…and waiting, "Well, come on, what are you waiting for?"

Merlin just grinned, "I already did it."

Arthur frowned and moved to attack, thinking he was bluffing…only to find he _couldn't move_.

"What the…Merlin!" he glared.

Merlin laughed heartily at that, "You know…we still have another hour or two out here…I think I'll enjoy a little rest," and with that he turned and laid down on the grass, his arms behind him as he closed his eyes.

"Merlin! Let me go!" Arthur shouted, "I'm ordering you as Prin…" Merlin looked over, his eyes flashing again, and suddenly Arthur's shouts quieted, oh the man was still ranting and raving, but no sound came out.

And when the prince realized that, he just pouted and glared all the more.

Merlin chuckled at that, "Just be glad I didn't think to bring my staff with me. Then you'd really be in trouble."

Arthur rolled his eyes at that, one day he'd really have to see what his former-servant was so boastful about with his staff skills. But till then, or till Merlin let him move again, he settled for thinking of different ways to murder his brother-in-law without being caught.

~8~

Marayna was practically buzzing as the five of them walked down the corridor towards the physician's chambers, Gwen having told them that Gaius wanted to introduce them to Alice as she stopped by. They couldn't wait! Well, four of them. Arthur was a bit hesitant, he'd met so many magic-users who had tried to kill him for what his father had done…he was torn between worried that Alice might try the same and ashamed that he'd have to face someone truly hurt by his father's actions, someone that had been so dear to Gaius. They had been torn apart because of his father. It was still hard to look Marayna in the eye whenever they discussed parents, knowing _his_ father was the reason she'd never met _hers_, his father was the reason he'd died before she could even glimpse him.

"Ah, there you are," Gaius grinned as they entered the chambers to see a lovely older woman with her back to them, "I'd like you to meet Alice."

Alice turned around, smiling warmly at them, and they smiled back…except Marayna who stared at the woman in horror. Her eyes…her eyes were _black_! But when she glanced at the others she saw they didn't seem to see it and tried her best to smile as well. She couldn't say anything, not now with her still jumpy/wary-of-all-things-magic husband, her overprotective brother, and her uncle who was clearly taken with the woman standing right there...with the woman in question too.

"Oh!" Alice's yes widened when she spotted Morgana and Arthur, "My…my Lord, my Lady I…"

"It's alright Alice," Morgana stepped over and hugged her, "You are among friends."

And then, to prove her point, her eyes flashed and a small stool pulled out for Alice to sit on. Alice's eyes flew to Arthur who seemed...undisturbed by the display of magic.

"I believe introductions are in order," Gaius smiled, knowing why Morgana had pulled out the stool, she wanted the woman to know she really WAS among friends, "Might I introduce Gwen," he gestured at the woman, "Maidservant and friend of the Lady Morgana, natural-born Healer and Seer," Alice looked at Morgana, shocked, a natural Healer AND Seer was rare indeed, "My nephew Merlin, known to the Druids as the Archmage and Dragonlord Emrys," Alice gasped, "My niece Marayna, princess of Camelot and High Priestess of the Old Religion," Alice stumbled back, her eyes wide, "And Prince Arthur of Camelot, her husband."

And Alice fell back into the chair as the group shared a small laugh, the woman looked on the verge of having a heart attack. Marayna though, felt that Gaius should have been more careful with their secret and their titles but…he didn't know about the woman's eyes and to him, it was his old love, he trusted her. So she just…had to trust him, for now.

"It…it…" Alice shook her head, trying to gather herself, "It's an honor," she breathed, staring up at them.

"Ma'am," Arthur stepped forward and knelt before her, frowning when he saw her stiffen as though afraid of him, "I wanted to apologize for any and every harm my father's law has caused you," he told her, sincere, knowing Marayna was smiling proudly behind him, "I promise you, while you are in Camelot, you shall be safe so long as you practice only good magic, healing magic, as I have heard you are quite skilled at."

Alice blinked and looked up at Gaius, "Are you SURE HE'S Uther's son?"

Gaius laughed, "He's Ygraine's child," he nodded.

Alice nodded as well and turned back to Arthur, "Thank you, my Lord," she breathed, tears in her eyes, "You are so like your mother in your goodness."

Arthur smiled at that, standing and holding out a hand to Marayna, "I feel I have my lovely wife to thank for that."

Marayna gave a tense smile and nodded, a look that did not go unnoticed by any except Gaius and Alice who were gazing at each other.

"Alice will be staying with me for a while," Gaius told them.

"That's alright with you?" Alice looked over.

"Of course," Merlin nodded, "You can have my room, it's been empty for a few months now."

Alice frowned, "I've moved to Arthur's room," Marayna explained "And, while my brother has been given chambers of his own, he tends to frequent the chambers of his betrothed as well," she nudged Morgana who blushed.

Alice laughed, "Young love, I remember that."

"I don't," Gaius remarked, looking down at Alice softly, "I just remember love."

She beamed at him.

~8~

"Are you _sure_?" Arthur frowned as Marayna told them all that night as they gathered in Morgana's rooms about Alice's eyes.

She nodded, "Pitch black. No white at all."

"Why?" Gwen shook her head, "Is she…some sort of imposter?"

"I don't think so," she shrugged, "But…there's something wrong about her."

Merlin sighed and looked at Morgana, "Could you check on her?"

Morgana nodded, "Of course," And got up, heading to her vanity, reaching into a small box beside it to take out her crystal, sitting down and taking a breath, looking into it, clearing her mind as he focused on Alice…and an image formed…

She could see Alice in Merlin's rooms, talking to a box, to something INSIDE it. She could see a small creature, with the body of a lion, the tail of a scorpion, snarling up at the woman. She winced at it and reached into the box with a vial in hand, nodding as she listened to what it was saying. When she pulled her hand out, there was black liquid in the glass...clearly a poison...

Morgana shook her head as she pulled away, "You were right," she nodded, "There's something wrong. She had this…box. She was talking to it, there's something inside it and she pulled out this sort of...liquid, like a poison or something."

"For what?" Gwen asked.

"What else?" Merlin rolled his eyes, rubbing his head.

"To kill the king," Marayna nodded.

Arthur's eyes widened as he jumped up, "We must warn my father at once and…"

"And get Gaius's love killed?" Merlin deadpanned, "No."

"But Morgana just said…"

"Arthur," Marayna sighed, sounding almost bored, "Do you remember _how many times_ we've saved the king's life. Just…sit down, have a drink, and leave it to us."

Arthur frowned, sitting back down as he watched the four turn to each other, talking about how to find out what was going on, how to bring it up to Gaius, how to stop it if it got too much…taking every angle and examining it as they developed a course of action.

He couldn't help the pang that raced through him as he listened in, as he watched the _four_ of them together. They were all so…they were such a _unit_. And he felt like the outsider. Gwen and Morgana had told him of their reaction to learning Merlin and Marayna had magic, YEARS ago it seemed. His had been the worst so far, even more harmful because of his ties to Marayna. It made sense they would still be wary of his intentions, despite finding Marayna again.

It hurt…to know he'd hurt her so deeply she didn't seem to trust him to help them in this plan.

He supposed he deserved it though, but he resolved to make it up to her, to prove his worth and his loyalty to her. And one day, maybe, he'd be allowed in on their little group more than he was, and he'd be able to help too.

~8~

Marayna and Merlin were walking with Gaius in town, Marayna's arm through his as though enjoying a stroll with her uncle and brother, trying not to notice the townspeople staring at her in her dress. Even though it was rather plain, as far as royalty went, it was still of a better quality and design than most peasants or servants had. She felt like, no matter what she did, whether she wore her old servant's garb or her old tunics people would STILL stare at her. She figured it was because she was a princess now, it was all her, not her clothes. It did bother her a bit though, she REALLY wanted them to just see her as her old self and not this person to be careful around.

"What sorts of magic did Alice practice when she was younger?" Marayna asked quietly.

"All kinds," Gaius smiled, "It was a time of experimentation, learning."

"Right," Merlin nodded, "What about dark magic?"

"I daresay," he sighed, "But those days are long gone."

"What if they aren't?"

He stopped and gave them a questioning look.

"Uncle…" Marayna began, "Last night...there was a...creature...in our old rooms."

"Creature?" he frowned.

"Morgana said it had the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion…" Merlin told him.

"Did she dream this creature?"

"No, she scried for it," Marayna explained, "We were with her. Uncle we could almost feel the magic coming from the vision, it wasn't any sort of magic we've felt before."

"What utter nonsense," he chuckled, waving it off.

Merlin sighed, he should have expected this, "If you don't believe us, Gaius, we can prove it. Come on," he turned and led them back to the castle, to the physician's chambers, right to his old room, moving to the bed and pulling the box Morgana had described out from under it, "This is it."

"Merlin, put that back!" Gaius glared, "This has gone far enough."

"Oh, it's in there. We know it is."

"Ridiculous," Gaius muttered, moving to open it.

"Uncle no!" Marayna shouted.

But the box was empty, he turned to shoot them a dark, irritated look, "I hope you're satisfied now?"

The siblings just exchanged a worried glance...if it wasn't in the box, then where was it?

~8~

The library was most useful place in the world to learn about magic in a magic-hating kingdom, as ironic as that was. They half expected Uther to have burned all the books that even resembled magic. But they found it, a book with a picture of the creature in it.

"Can I help you?" Geoffrey cleared his throat, having been watching them flip through book after book and make a mess of it all. But he couldn't yell at them this time, not with Marayna being the princess and Merlin being a Lord now.

"No," Merlin shook his head.

"Yes," Marayna nudged him, taking the book and turning it to show the man, "What do you know about this thing?"

"Ah, now that is the manticore," Geoffrey nodded.

"A manticore?" Merlin frowned.

"Nasty looking beast, isn't it."

"Yeah, you can say that again."

"I believe it was first referred to almost a thousand years ago. The Ancients lived in fear of it, trembled at its very name."

"We've never even heard of it."

"I'm not surprised. As far as I'm aware, the manticore is a legend, figment of the imagination."

"You're sure?" Marayna eyed him.

"Oh, yes," he chuckled, "So, erm...if you were hoping to see one, I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed."

"You'd be surprised," she mumbled before shutting the book and getting up, "Thank you Geoff."

The man grit his teeth, she _always_ called him that even after he'd repeatedly said... "It's Geoffrey," he nearly snapped before realizing _who_ he'd just been talking to, "I…"

"Brilliant," Marayna merely smiled, "Welcome back," she nudged him, thankful he'd FINALLY started to treat her like he used to, getting irritated and huffing at her, "I'm still Gaius's niece Geoffrey, please _don't_ treat me any differently, you really think I'm the sort of person to go running to Uther for something like _this_?"

The man just blinked as Merlin laughed and followed her out, putting a hand to his chest as he felt his heart slow down before he let out a chuckle of his own. That girl seemed determined to get people to treat her like a servant again...except without the chores. It appeared that he was the only one it had worked on so far.

~8~

"Gaius?" Morgana called as she entered the physician's chambers, gasping when she saw Alice trying to pour the black poison she'd seen in her vision into a potion…startling the woman with her call as she dropped the bottles.

"I'm so sorry, Gaius!" Alice knelt to try and clean up the mess.

"It's alright," Gaius moved to help her, stepping over from across the room where he'd been working on a different potion, "My Lady," he smiled at Morgana, "How can I help you?"

"I just…" she trailed off, she'd been watching Alice nearly all day in her crystal, seen the woman about to add the substance and ran for it, "Wanted to ask if you'd seen Merlin?"

"No, no, not yet, today," Gaius nodded.

"Of Gaius really," Alice slapped his hands away playfully as he gathered up all the broken bits himself, "I can do it."

He chuckled and stood, looking at the door to see Morgana was gone.

~8~

"Did you get it?" Merlin and Marayna looked up as Gwen entered Morgana's chambers, Arthur yawning against the wall as they'd been waiting a while for Gwen to manage her part of this 'mission' that they seemed to have developed.

Apparently, Merlin and Marayna were doing research about what the creature was, so they could determine how to kill it, while Morgana watched over Gaius and spied on Alice, and Gwen, being the only servant among them, tried to lift the book they'd seen the manticore in to bring it there so they could read up and discuss how to vanquish the creature once and for all without Geoffrey watching them. He just...he didn't know what he was meant to do. He was good at fighting but, from all he'd learned of the various beasts like Dragons and Questing Beasts and Griffins that he'd thought HE'D managed to take out (a foolish thing to do on his part as he KNEW they needed magic to be stopped) that really could only be killed with magic, this was not something he'd be able to stop, only something the magic-users in the room could handle.

Gwen smiled and held up a book she'd snuck out of the library, "This is the box right?" she asked, opening it to a page.

"Exactly!" Marayna cheered, "Brilliant Gwen."

They all gathered around it, reading about the box and how to stop the manticore while Arthur looked on.

~8~

"Uncle!" Marayna called as she and Merlin ran into him in the corridor on the way to his chambers. They had debated who should speak to Gaius about Alice, and they'd decided it should be them, as they were family…and a bit because Marayna was the princess, in the absolute worst case she could order Gaius to do something not that she EVER wanted to do that, not to her family.

"We need to talk to you about Alice," Merlin told him.

Gaius sighed, "This must stop you two."

"We now why the box was empty," Marayna cut in, "We thought it was just a container to hold it, but it's actually more like a portal the manticore can travel through and..."

"This must stop now!" Gaius cut in.

"No," Merlin said firmly, giving his uncle a hard look, "Alice is up to something, and whatever it is, it isn't good."

"You're wrong, Merlin," Gaius glared, "Alice is the kindest and most compassionate person I've ever known."

"Uncle can't you see what's going on?" Marayna shook her head, "The Manticore is USING Alice BECAUSE of your feelings for her. You won't see that she's doing anything sinister because you don't believe her capable!"

"I can see perfectly well, your Highness," Gaius remarked, making Marayna flinch at the use of her title instead of her name, "And what I can see is that you two cannot bear for me to be happy. I cannot begin to guess why that should be, but it saddens me. More than I can say."

Merlin put his arm around his sister's shoulders as Gaius shoved past them, "When have we been wrong in the past?" Merlin called quietly, making Gaius pause, "And when have we _ever_ wanted YOU to be unhappy?"

Gaius looked back at them, frowning when he saw the tears in his niece's eyes, the sorrow on his nephew's face, before Merlin shook his head at him and turned Marayna away to walk off.

A horrible pit formed in Gaius's stomach as he watched them go.

Never...that would be the right answer.

~8~

Merlin sighed as he stood off to the side in a clearing, magicing a target to move so Arthur could practice, the man actually seeming to like using magic for that sake. Apparently the magic target was more of a challenge than him trying to bob and weave around. But…the target, without him to focus on it was mostly just swaying.

"Merlin," Arthur turned to him when he managed to knock it down_ again_, to see the boy staring out at the sky, "You're meant to make it bob. You might as well call it a barn door."

"Yes, Sire," Merlin sighed, turning back, his eyes flashing as the target rose again.

Arthur though heard the sigh, "For goodness sake, what is your problem?"

"Nothing."

"Well, either you tell me, or YOU get to go back and be the target."

"Gaius, Aya, and I, we...had a bit of a falling out."

Arthur frowned, wondering why he was _just_ hearing about this now. When his wife was upset, HE should know, "I row with my father all the time. You should do what I do, just lie low and wait till he comes to his senses. It'll soon blow over."

Merlin scoffed, "No, I don't think so, somehow."

"Oh, cheer up, will you?" he punched Merlin in the arm.

"Ow!" he frowned, rubbing it, "How is punching me in the arm meant to cheer me up?"

"It works with the knights," Arthur shrugged.

"Well, they're thick, aren't they?"

"_I'm_ a knight."

"There you go, then."

Arthur just punched him again before sheathing his sword, "Grab the target would you?"

Merlin frowned, "I thought we still had another hour of this…"

"Well when my wife is upset, it's my duty to comfort her, isn't it?" Arthur smiled a bit at that, he _loved_ calling her his wife and this...this was another chance to prove himself to her, to be there for her.

Merlin had to smile as well, Arthur putting off training for his sister…that was new. That was nice though. There was hope for the prat yet.

~8~

By night, all five of the young men and women knew something would happen. Alice had been left with Gaius all day, none of them interrupting her. Morgana had watched, had seen her mixing potions, putting the poison into one meant for Uther. Arthur had nearly gone right out there and stormed after her as soon as Morgana told them, till they mentioned he couldn't. How would he explain knowing what Alice had done if not by scrying? And then he'd nearly had a conniption when they said they had to LET Uther be poisoned. He'd calmed when they promised Gaius would be able to make a cure, that he'd HAVE to realize what Alice had done given the fact that SHE had made the potion that was meant to help Uther's shoulder pains, and the POTION was the only thing Uther _never_ had tested before he drank it.

So, when the warning bells went off, Arthur ran right for his father's chambers, shouting at the guards to bring Gaius, finding the king on the floor, struggling to breathe, unconscious.

"Father!" he ran to the man's side as Marayna joined him, both needing to keep up appearances as the concerned wife and also to make sure Arthur didn't blow their cover.

"Gaius," Marayna called when she saw him enter the room moments later, making HIM flinch at the use of his name instead of the affectionate 'Uncle' she preferred to call him by.

"I found him this way," Arthur told him, kneeling beside his father, "I...I can't rouse him."

Gaius rushed over and took the man's wrist, feeling for his vitals, "The king's alive, but his pulse is weak."

"What's wrong with him?"

"Please, I must examine him. Seal off the King's quarters."

"Seal the quarters," Merlin told the guards outside as Morgana, Gwen, and him stepped into the room.

Uther gasped suddenly, his eyes shooting open to reveal them to be completely black.

"What_ is_ that?" Merlin asked.

Marayna frowned, seeing the same eyes that Alice had, knowing it had to be the manticore.

"Hush, Merlin."

Uther's eyes drifted shut as Gaius picked up the empty bottle still in his hands. He stood, watching as Arthur and Merlin hefted the king back onto the bed.

"Well?" Arthur turned to him.

"I am afraid I cannot yet determine the cause of your father's illness," Gaius remarked as the four behind him closed their eyes, shaking their heads at him.

Arthur's jaw tensed, trying to get the man to admit it, wanting to see just HOW far he'd go before the reality hit him, "Well, he's been poisoned, hasn't he?"

"I cannot say at this stage."

"Just _look_ at him, Gaius. What else could it be?"

"We must not jump to hasty conclusions, Sire. Please watch over him till I return."

Arthur tensed, looking for all the world as though he wanted to strangle the man for lying and defending his father's would-be murderer, but a firm look from Marayna shut him up, a look that promised Gaius would be made to see what had been done. So he nodded and turned back to his father's side as Morgana and Gwen joined him, leaving it to the siblings to follow Gaius out.

"I don't think we need any more information," Merlin remarked as Gaius stepped into the hallway.

"Since when are you the expert in such matters?" Gaius shot back.

"You don't need to be a physician to see what's happened!" Marayna shouted.

"Marayna!"

"Uncle, he's been _poisoned_, we all know who did it."

"What exactly are you implying?" his eyes narrowed.

"It was Alice," Merlin cut in, "It _had_ to be. She's been helping you with the potions. She's had _every_ opportunity to corrupt his medicine."

"Merlin, you have no proof of any of this..."

"Morgana saw it!" Marayna snapped, startling Gaius, she had never really raised her voice at _him_ before, "We had her watching Alice, she SAW her add Manticore venom to UTHER's draught! Is THAT proof enough for you? Is it?" she shook her head, "I _know_ you love her Uncle, I love Arthur but if he EVER stood by and let something like this happen I would give him hell for it. And I cannot believe you would think US capable of trying to hurt you that way out of spite!"

And with that, she turned and stormed back into the king's chambers, unable to deal with her uncle without crying.

"She _saw_ Alice?" Gaius breathed.

"She did," Merlin nodded, "Gaius…" he shook his head, "Even if she hadn't seen it…there is no other explanation."

"Of course there is," he tried to argue weakly.

"I understand why you're protecting her," Merlin said quietly, "Really, I _do_. But in your heart of hearts, you must know what we've been saying is true."

And then he took a leaf out of his sister's book and turned to go, much more quietly than she had though.

He stepped into the room, pausing at the door, leaning against it as he shut it, seeing Morgana at Uther's side, holding the man's hand as Arthur stood with Marayna, hugging her, quietly talking to her, rubbing her arm to calm her and walked over.

"It doesn't make any sense," Arthur said to them, "The guards will work it out just from the fact that his food and wine are tasted each and every meal. It's brought here_ under_ armed guard. _No one_ can interfere with it in any way. So, if it can't be his food and drink…the only other thing he's had is...Gaius's remedy."

They nodded, "They'll think it's Gaius," Morgana breathed.

"That's got to be the plan then," Marayna agreed, "Let the blame fall to Gaius because he would never condemn Alice."

"But we can't condemn HIM either," Merlin argued.

"That leaves only one option," Arthur sighed.

Gwen frowned, "But can we do that to him?"

They looked at each other, all of them knowing the answer. If it would save Gaius's life (and the king's) then yes, yes they could.

~8~

"Alice!" Marayna, Merlin, and Arthur heard Gaius gasp as they entered the physician's chambers with guards only a short while later, just in time to see Alice with _black eyes_ just like the king.

"You're under arrest for high treason," Arthur called, knowing that was ALL the guards needed to see to make the connection between poison and poisoner, "Take her away."

The guards rushed over to Alice, grabbing her as she didn't resist and led her off.

"Believe us now?" Marayna asked Gaius quietly as the man still stared after Alice as though he couldn't believe she had truly done what she did.

"For what it's worth, we're sorry," Merlin added a he took Marayna's hand and led her out.

Gaius bowed his head, they _had_ been right. He'd shouted at them, he'd protected her, and all the while she'd been trying to kill the king and let him take the fall for it. But why?

~8~

"Do you admit to using magic?" Arthur asked Alice as he and Marayna stood in the cell with her, Merlin with the guards far enough away to not be heard, making sure they wouldn't be heard, pretending Arthur had instructed there to be a private questioning with the 'sorceress' that only the prince and princess were overseeing, claiming his wife needed to learn how to do the same should he not be available in the future.

"Yes," Alice bowed her head.

"Admit to poisoning the King?"

"Yes, yes, but it _forced_ me to do it," she looked at him, pleading with them to believe her, "It...it _made_ me."

"Who forced you?"

"The creature. The creature."

"The Manticore," Marayna nodded and Alice looked at her with a gasp, "Yes, we know all about it, the perks of having a Seer as a sister-in-law," she moved over to crouch before Alice as the woman remained kneeling on the ground, "I'd like to speak to it, if you don't mind."

Arthur tensed, watching as Alice's eyes went black, his hand resting on his sword should the creature try to attack his wife.

"Do all creatures of the Old Religion lack patience?" she asked it, shaking her head, truly curious and truly exasperated with how often Camelot was attacked when it _felt like_ every magic-user knew the prophecies of the return of magic to Albion, "And foresight and trust?"

"You know not what you speak!" it hissed at her through Alice's mouth.

"I know that you want magic returned, I know that you want peace, I know that you want a realm where you don't have to live in fear of a law condemning you to death simply for how you were born," she cut in as its eyes narrowed, "And I know that future _is_ coming," her eyes flashed as the creature gasped, clearly not knowing from Alice of her powers, perhaps it had been 'hibernating' in a way, "I am Reesa, High Priestess of the Old Religion, future Queen of Camelot. If you had just WAITED you would see a new world starting. I could have helped you escape."

Arthur shook his head at that, _now_ he understood why some of the sorcerers he'd captured had been able to disappear.

"But you tried to KILL the _king_, and for that I cannot help you," she stood, "Magic or not, that attempt cannot be ignored," her eyes flashed and the black was forced back, Alice gasping as she came back to herself, "As you Alice…Gaius LOVED you and you were going to let him be executed in your place," tears came to Alice's eyes, "But he_ does_ love you and for THAT...I will try to help YOU."

"Please," Arthur added, "My father is dying. I can show YOU mercy if you help us stop the Manticore and tell us how to cure him."

"I don't know," Alice wept, "The creature kept all knowledge hidden and only told me what to do."

Marayna sighed, "Then it's up to us," she turned to Arthur, reaching out to squeeze his hand, "Come, we need to see to your father before we can deal with the Manticore."

"What if it tries to use magic?" he asked.

"I've forced it back for now, it can't control her at the moment," she glanced back at Alice, "And you will NOT try to escape before we can get that thing out of you right?"

Alice looked up, startled that she might be free of it, and nodded.

"Come on," she tugged Arthur on, leading him down the hall and towards the guards when she saw him giving a small smile, "What?"

"You will make the BEST queen," he told her quietly, kissing her hand, "What you did there showed logic, mercy, loyalty, and fairness. You placed blame where it was due and understood the severity of the laws, looking past the use of magic as the 'crime,'" he brushed a lock of hair from her ears, "Camelot will thrive with you beside me, you make me want to be a great king Mara."

She smiled, "You make me want to be a good Queen."

~8~

"How is he?" Merlin asked as the three of them entered the king's chambers to see Gaius and Morgana tending to Uther as Gwen tried to help.

"He's fading," Morgana frowned "I've tried everything I could think of to heal him but…"

"He won't last the day," Gwen added.

"Gaius..." Merlin turned to him.

"It's alright," he cut in, "I understand. You were only trying to save me from harm. Thank you. But I don't believe Alice wanted this."

"We know she didn't," Marayna agreed, entering with Arthur, "I had a nice chat with the Manticore infecting her. The poison came from it."

"We cannot counteract the manticore's venom," Gaius closed his eyes in fear, "It's too deadly, by far."

"So what can we do?" Arthur shook his head, unwilling to believe his father could die.

"We can kill the manticore. The poison is imbued with its magic. With the manticore dead, it will lose its potency."

"How do we kill it?"

"You can't," Gaius shook his head, "You don't have the power. It's a creature of the Old Religion. But maybe there's another way, if I can remember…" he turned to a book Morgana had had Gwen bring there when they'd seen the look on Gaius's face when he'd entered, that he might just believe them. They'd wanted to show him what they'd learned and it seemed like he had finally accepted what had happened, "Here," he nodded, pointing to the page, "The manticore cannot live in this world long. Its life source is an ancient evil that exists in the spirit world."

"So if we can trap it in _this_ world..." Merlin began.

"Exactly. If we were to summon the creature and you, Merlin, kept it at bay long enough, perhaps Marayna could break the box."

"The portal," she nodded.

"If the portal is destroyed, then the creature's connection with its life source will be destroyed with it."

"And the manticore will die?" Merlin guessed.

"I believe so."

"Uncle...there's an enchantment on the box," Marayna murmured, "We'll need to use magic to destroy it."

They all looked at Arthur, wanting him to realize just _how much_ magic played a part in saving Camelot time and time again.

Arthur, for his part, sighed and rolled his eyes, "It hasn't stopped you in the past, has it?"

Marayna beamed and kissed his cheek, "Well then, let's get to it!" she cheered, linking her arm with her brother's and leading him out of the room, heading back to the physician's chambers where the box was still lingering, Morgana, Gwen, and Arthur remaining with the king to watch over him. Gaius pulled the box out from where Alice had placed it, setting it on a table before them.

"Are you ready?" Gaius looked at Marayna, who nodded.

Merlin, though, was more hesitant, "What if this doesn't work?"

"Then we get to play keep away with a Manticore," Marayna deadpanned.

Merlin took a breath and turned to the box, hissing out a spell.

Suddenly the Manticore lunged out of the box and flew at Merlin, attacking him, "Now Aya!" he shouted, managing to duck under one vicious one.

Marayna turned to the box and focused, her eyes flashing.

The box exploded and the Manticore wailed in agony as it died as well.

"Well…" Marayna frowned, looking at the pieces of the box, "That was something."

"What's wrong?" Merlin asked, afraid she'd been harmed when the Manticore had burst out.

"Nothing it's just…rather anticlimactic wasn't it?" she sighed, "Hardly even a challenge."

Merlin just stared at her before laughing.

~8~

"I am fortunate, indeed, that you found an antidote, Gaius," Uther smiled as he sat up in bed, Gaius, Merlin and Marayna with him, Arthur, Gwen, and Morgana further back by the wall.

"It will take time, My Lord, but you will make a full recovery," Gaius assured him.

"What of the woman?"

"We have her in the cells, Sire," Arthur sighed, knowing that the guards would have never let him release her upon the claim she'd been enchanted and it had broken, they'd have wanted to know how, "She awaits your judgment."

"She won't have to wait long. She's sentenced to death. We'll execute her in the morning."

Arthur tensed at how flippant his father was being about all this. HE knew the whole story, he knew that Alice had been controlled, but it was as they had always said, as soon as magic was mentioned, it meant death, no matter what.

"Sire, if I may…" Gaius still had to try though.

"Yes, Gaius."

"It seems this woman was in the thrall of some kind of creature. Perhaps, in the light of that, her sentence might be..."

"She practiced magic, Gaius," Uther cut in, "There are no circumstances under which that is acceptable. Her judgment stands."

Gaius sighed and nodded, turning to leave as court was called to an end.

"Leave it to us Gaius," Morgana smiled, squeezing his shoulder as they walked past, the four of them, sans Arthur, who was watching them go with a small frown.

"Do YOU know what they're planning?" Gaius asked the prince as Arthur came to stand beside him.

He sighed, shaking his head, "I wish I did though."

~8~

Gaius was standing in the physician's chambers only hours later while Merlin and Marayna sat around, helping him clean up from the mess the manticore had made...when the warning bells sounded. He looked up, alarmed, but the siblings merely smiled.

"Oh look," Marayna murmured, "I wonder if it means a prisoner might have escaped?"

"I certainly hope the stable hands don't find a horse missing as well," Merlin remarked casually.

Gaius looked at them, a sparkle of pride in his eyes as he laughed, realizing what they had done, rushing over to hug them tightly, so thankful he had them in his life.

A/N: Poor Arthur :( I felt a little bad for him in this chapter, sort of being the odd one out :( But I can say we'll see a resolution to that in the next chapter and a little concern about how he's accepting magic so far and the return of some of the Bloodguard ;) And now that Arthur's got the staff fight in his mind, we'll be seeing that coming up very soon too ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Oh Arthur will be privy to MUCH more magic to come yup ;) Though he might get knocked out a little bit here and there :)

I'm not sure if I'll ever write a John/OC story, mostly because I really loved Mary in Sherlock :) But there's always a possibility of something hitting me. It'll probably depend on how Series 4 goes though :)

Merlin's magic is VERY strong, as for if it's strong enough to heal that...we'll have to wait and see, we've still got a few more years for Arthur and Marayna before the end to see if anything might come from what Merlin did :)

Lol, I so failed saying that five times fast, I think the only thing I could ever say fast was the Peter Piper rhyme :) I won a page of stickers in first grade for saying it the fastest ^-^ Oh we'll be seeing the Bloodguard popping up here and there again, right in the next chapter actually ;) I can say they've actually been lingering quite a bit but more behind the scenes so far ;) We'll actually see the head of the Bloodguard coming very soon ;)

I can say that...Arthur isn't the only one who will learn of the siblings magic in THIS story...but I won't say if it's Uther or not }:) I can say we will one day see Uther's reaction to it though ;) And thanks :) I hope people will like the ending of this story too :)

I was debating a chapter where everyone tells Arthur what they've done for Camelot, but in the end I sort of felt like it would just be summarizing everything so far with a comment or two from Arthur. I've chosen to focus more on how he's dealing with the aftermath of being told all of that. But there will be certain adventures that are going to come up again in more detail for him ;)

That's awesome :) I love making Sims of TV shows and books and having them play out how I wish the shows/stories went, it's almost like watching a fanfiction play out but without most of the adventures :) I hope your Marayna Sim is having a grand old time and keeping people on their toes ;)


	17. Seeing Truths

Seeing Truths

Marayna hummed lightly to herself as she made her way down the halls with breakfast in hand. She'd taken pity on Arthur after his father had nearly been murdered by the Manticore and decided that she'd let him sleep a bit later, bring him some breakfast in bed the way he had her. To be honest, she was still a little wary of Arthur, given what he'd done when he'd learned of her magic, but…he was still her husband, he'd come after her, he'd realized his mistake and, despite her tendency to hold a grudge…holding one for the next few decades WHILE married to the target…would NOT make for a very fun marriage.

She'd just pushed the door to the room open, perhaps using just a tiny bit of magic, when she stopped short at the sight before her…Arthur, awake, and DRESSED.

She sighed, entering the room and heading to the desk to put the food down as Arthur turned to her, grinning, but his expression fell when he saw her exasperated face, "Alright," she crossed her arms, "Who are you in love with this time?"

"What?" he blinked, not quite having expected that statement, he was actually thinking she'd have told him he put his tunic on backwards or that his pants were some sort of trousers she'd had made for herself or something instead of that.

"You're dressed," she gestured a hand at his attire.

"Yes…" he said slowly, "I am."

She sighed, "The only time you've ever really been dressed on your own is when you're besotted with someone or enchanted. So, which is it, and who is it?"

Arthur chuckled at that, having to admit she was probably right, and made his way over to her, taking her hands in his, "The only one I'm ever 'besotted' with, is YOU," he told her, leaning in to give her a kiss, "You're the only one I'll ever be besotted with."

She smiled at that, "Good," she murmured, resting her forehead to his, "I still want to know why you're dressed."

"Why?" he bumped his nose to hers, "Did YOU want to dress me?"

"Hmm…" she hummed, "Quite the opposite really," she laughed as he swallowed hard at that.

"Always unsated, aren't you?" he smirked at that, rather pleased his wife found him so desirable.

"No more than you are," she winked at him, pulling back, "You know how much you…suffer when you see me dressed in blues?" she asked.

"Very," he muttered, looking her up and down, seeing she was dressed in a light blue gown this time, and swallowing again, he really needed to start drafting that law to make that shade of blue illegal.

"Well…" she reached out to trace the open top of his tunic, "I fear I feel much the same when you wear white," she smiled, seeing him grinning.

"Do you now?" he started to grin wider as he mentally took stock of all the white shirts he had and how many more he could try and order from Gwen without it seeming suspicious.

"I would have said red," Marayna nodded, "But you're always wearing that and I'm not much a fan of it…"

"You DO realize Camelot's primary colors ARE red," he remarked.

"I'm well aware," she rolled her eyes, "I just meant…" she sighed, "Blood is red."

"Yes…and?" he gave her a look, not quite understanding what the point of that was.

"And if you're wearing red and you get hurt, no one can tell because the blood matches your shirt," she told him, "I don't like that," she admitted, "I'd rather know when you're hurt so I can help you."

He smiled at that, "I…am almost glad I wear red then," he countered, "I would rather nothing like…like before happen again."

It had been terrifying, truly the worst experience of his life, to be out with Merlin, trying to search for his wife, wondering if she was still alive. And then, to find her in the state they had…they had hoped that her own magic would have healed her, they couldn't bring Morgana with them, Uther would never have allowed it and time was of the essence and they'd had to go thinking they could get her back to Camelot quickly enough if they just found her and could tend to her. They'd found her in worst straits than they thought and Merlin had been forced to do what he could for her…and succeeded in healing her beautifully according to Gaius…Morgana had never been more proud of him for it.

But still, he had nightmares about that, about seeing her lying there, her dress stained with blood, the skin around it red and raw from infection, her skin too pale, her eyes glassy, sweat on her brow…if they hadn't managed to convince her to rein in her magic when they had…she'd have died right in front of him. He never ever wanted her to take his wounds again. HE would rather suffer them and the risks of them than to see her nearly die of them again.

"And…if I were to promise not to do something like that again?" Marayna began, hopeful.

"I'd still wear red," Arthur shook his head, "Because I know you well enough to know that when people you care about are in danger, you damn the rules and your promises to help them."

She sighed, "Must you know me that well?"

"Well, as your husband…I would say yes, very much," he laughed, "It's a part of my job now, to know you," he looked at her intently, reaching up to touch her cheek, "I have known you for years Mara and am only just learning about an entirely different side of you," he smiled lightly at that, "I look forward to spending the rest of my life learning every last detail about you."

"Well then," she leaned into his touch, "It seems you'll be in for a good long life, I have QUITE a lot about me you've yet to learn."

"I'm glad," he murmured, moving in closer and kissing her deeply, the two of them forgetting just why Arthur had already been dressed for the moment…

~8~

Marayna positively beamed as she and Arthur stepped out of the castle and headed for the market. She was just…thrilled to be there, especially when Arthur told her why he'd gotten ready so early today and it was so…sweet.

He wanted to spend the day with her.

He'd spoken to his father, made sure to see to all of his duties, that they were either being looked after by a knight or a trusted servant (NOT Merlin who was spending the day with Morgana as well) or could be put off till the next day. He'd told Uther that he wanted to spend the time with her because of the 'illness' that she'd 'suffered' on her way back from 'Ealdor.' The poor man had no idea that she hadn't really been ill nor had she been in Ealdor but that Arthur had temporarily banished her for sorcery. But in the context of what the man DID know, it made every bit of sense to him that his son would want to spend quality time with his wife after having nearly 'lost' her. She was all too happy to play along if it meant a day of just her and Arthur.

But, what's more, Arthur was endeavoring to try and make it NOT about a royal visit or two nobles wandering around but just…them, two people. He'd had a dress specially made for her that was reminiscent of her servant's attire, but just a bit more regal as Uther would have fit if she were wandering around dressed like a servant again. And Arthur himself was wearing a very simple shirt and trousers, not even carrying his sword with him but just…the two of them, trying to be as unroyal as they could be and just…be people. He wanted to spend the day AROUND their people and not above them and that meant so much to her.

She WAS a servant, she would always be a peasant in her mind, a serving girl in a pretty dress and the people of Camelot (and the magical community) would always be HER people, the ones she related to, the ones she empathized with and understood and cared for and that made a world of difference to Arthur. He could stand there and spout about how he cared for his people and he wanted what was best for them, but to have someone like Marayna at his side…someone who truly cared and the people knew she came from the same state they did…it made a world of difference to them too. They knew that their princess and future queen would be empathetic, that she'd fight for them, that she would be there for them because she had lived through what they had, she had lived the same life as them, dealt with the same hardships.

Marayna had to admit, Uther had been right, her marriage to Arthur had truly cemented the bond between Arthur and his people, they saw him as their champion, as a man who genuinely cared for all of them because he'd married one of them.

Arthur had even admitted to her that this day…it was all about HER, all about the things she liked and the things she enjoyed doing. Going into the villages, into the market even, as just her without the hustle and bustle of being the Princess…she wanted that. He knew that her transition to princess had been hard for her, everyone had had NO time at all to prepare for it or get used to it. It literally was that one day there was no princess and the next there was, and she was a servant to boot. Yes, they'd known that the Princess Elena might be their new princess, but for it to be an entirely different person had thrown them and they hadn't had time to come to terms with it. They'd treated Marayna differently which was something she hadn't wanted. He knew that her biggest issue with him, when they'd first met, was how he seemed to hold himself at a level high above his people…like his father did. But now…now he was more down to earth, because of her. That was one thing she had NEVER wanted others to do, see her as being elevated or something more than what she was. She wanted them to see her as the same person, the same servant with the loud mouth and crude language who would slap Arthur and go toe to toe with him verbally in the middle of the market if she disagreed with an order from the King. She wanted them to know she was just…Marayna, that she'd always be that same person even with a title.

And he was determined to give that to her, with a trip into town, just the two of them, dressed simply, showing the people that they were just people too.

Arthur barely managed to hold in a sigh as he led her through the various stalls, the prince tensing a little as he noticed that people were STILL staring at them reverently, some whispering and pointing, and realized that his plan was going rather badly. He really wanted to help her get the people to see her as the same person but it was hard, they seemed so taken with the fact that she was the princess and weren't sure how to react to her. It pained him to think that some of the people might actually be…afraid of her now. It was like they didn't know if she was going to turn into some arrogant monster or something, like the power would go to her head, and they didn't know what they could say to her or how they could act around her, if it was ok to act the same or not.

He looked around, hoping he might see something that would help at least salvage this rather dismal attempt of his…and smiled when he saw it. It was a small booth set to the side, by some flowers, that was selling breads and cheeses and some fruits. It was the same stall that Marayna had gone to the first few days she'd been there, the booth she'd gathered bread and cheese from to give to the orphans, when she'd given him a swift kick about how he was a prince and had the wealth to better the lives of his people but hadn't lifted a finger to do anything like that.

"Come on," he murmured, leading her over to it, seeing her smiling as she realized what the booth was as well.

He had just ordered them two pieces of bread each and a small wedge of cheese when they heard a gasp from behind them and a clattering of metal. They spun around to see a young boy, nearly a man, standing there with a blacksmith's apron on, soiled and dirty with ash, the boy having just dropped quite a bit of metal to the ground, some of it finished pieces, others still needing work, a taller man with a larger pile beside him, clearly a blacksmith and his apprentice.

"You!" the boy cried, staring at Marayna with large, wide eyes that seemed to almost be filling with tears, before he bolted for her, people crying out to stop him, but the boy just lunged at her and hugged her tightly around the middle, "It's you!"

Marayna smiled and gently tugged the boy away, kneeling down to hug him a bit better, "Hello Edmund," she whispered.

The boy pulled back, seeming awed by that, "You…remembered my name?"

She reached out and touched his cheek, not caring at all how dirty it was with soot and ash, "Of course," she told him, holding up a bit of bread and cheese, "Want some more?" but the boy shook his head, seeming shocked she'd offer, so she pulled it in half and held up half to him, "Please?" she offered, knowing that the boy had been denying such a large portion from HER, the princess.

The boy reverently took the half of the small sandwich and looked at her, "You really remember me," he whispered, unaware that the crowd had fallen silent around them and were watching intently.

"Yes," she nodded, "Are the others around here?" she looked around, trying to pretend that she hadn't seen everyone trying to turn their heads as though not watching only to look back at her when her gaze fell to the boy again.

"No," he smiled, "They're all with their masters too," he winced, glancing over his shoulder, to see his master staring at him in shock and a little bit of horror that he'd essentially thrown himself at the princess, "I um…I should get back," he murmured.

"The others are alright though?" she wanted to be sure, "Mary and Gregory and Peter?"

"You remember them too?" he breathed, stunned by that.

"You made quite the impression on me back then," she told him, squeezing his hand, "I'm just sorry I couldn't do more for you."

"You did everything!" the boy cut in, the crowd now more shocked he was speaking to her so informally and easily than anything, "You gave us food when we were hungry and…and you got the prince to find us homes and work and we're learning crafts!" he cheered, "We…we're not hungry anymore and…and we have a future," his eyes started to fill with tears at that, "You saved us."

"I'm very glad then," she smiled at him, before standing up and taking his hand, leading him back over to his master, "I apologize sir, for stealing your apprentice for a moment," she laughed, "I haven't seen Edmund in…a very long time and I'm very pleased to see he's doing well?"

"Exceptionally, highness," the man bowed his head.

"Rayna," she cut in, "Please, I…I'm just Marayna, I should admit, I'm not quite used to being princess," she murmured to him, though she knew more people than just him heard her.

The man smiled and gave her a nod of his head, "I apologize myself, I…was not aware you knew my apprentice."

"We met a very long time ago," she reached out and ruffled a hand through his hair.

"She gave me and the others food," he told his master, "After she found out our parents were killed by raiders. She talked to us when other people didn't seem to notice."

"I could never abide orphans being left to themselves," Marayna shrugged, "I…may have mentioned it to Arthur a sort of program in Ealdor, where orphans were taken to master craftsmen and given apprentice positions so they could have some sort of skill to make a life on…"

"Then I should thank your Hi…Rayna," he corrected when he saw her give him a mock-disapproving look, "Edmund is truly the best apprentice I have ever trained."

"That's wonderful," she beamed, giving Edmund a small sideways hug.

That, however, made the blacksmith look down, "I…I am so sorry Highness," he slipped back into it as he winced.

"For what?" Marayna tensed, seeing he seemed truly troubled.

"Your gown," he nodded at it, "It's soiled."

She glanced down to see that there was a rather large smudge of soot and ash and grime on the front of her gown now and looked back up at him, "And that's a matter to apologize for why?" she raised an eyebrow at that.

The man stared at her, "I…I just assumed…the fabric…"

She laughed and shook her head at that, "A fortnight ago I was covered in horse manure from mucking out the Prince's stables," she reminded him, making sure that was said a bit louder, "Dirt? Doesn't bother me," she glanced around, "It's easier to get out than potatoes and tomatoes from my hair," she laughed, making a few people chuckle as they remembered that THEY had thrown fruit at HER when she'd been in the stocks, "I do hope to not end up in the stocks again though," she glanced back at Arthur.

He shrugged, the widest of smiles on his faces, "Don't insult your husband then."

She scoffed, "Don't anger your wife," she countered, seeming people starting to smile at that, seeing it was STILL her, just HER.

"Never," Arthur winked at her.

She shook her head and turned back to the blacksmith, "Don't worry at all about it," she gestured to her dress, "I've been far more dirty in my life and I'd wager I'll get plenty dirty in far nicer gowns than this," she leaned in, "Keeping the prince out of trouble is remarkably hard work."

The man chuckled, but tried to cover it up into coughs as Arthur turned a suspicious frown at him, not sure what Marayna had said but seeing people starting to smile wider and glance at him.

"I would imagine so," the blacksmith smiled.

"I'll not keep you from your work any longer," she stepped back, kneeling down to pick up the small fallen metal objects, "Keep up the good work Edmund," she winked at him as she handed him his bundle.

"I will!" he promised, hugging her once more with one arm, making sure to keep the bundle in his other arm, "I promise I will!"

"Good," she stood and gave them a little wave as they continued on their trek. She leaned back when she felt someone wrap their arms around her and press a kiss to her cheek.

"You were wonderful," Arthur whispered in her ear, "I think they finally realized you haven't changed."

She nodded to that, moving her arms over his, "And I won't ever."

"Good," he squeezed her again, just…so happy that the people seemed more at ease around her now.

~8~

They'd ended up spending more of the day in the market and towns than Arthur had originally planned. It seemed like, after Marayna's small moment with Edmund, the people had finally started to realize that she was still the loud mouthed, coarse servant that she'd always been and that a dress or even a crown wouldn't ever change that. They'd found themselves stopped by a few servants and villages here and there, more than Arthur even realized she knew, but Marayna was always happy to stop and talk to them and, even though he'd had much more planned for the day, seeing her happy had been his ultimate goal so his mission was a success even if they hadn't gotten to wrestle or climb a tree or go swimming in the rivers like he'd planned. His wife was really so easy to please and make happy. He liked that, for her, it wasn't about jewelry or dresses or gifts of the like that got through to her but gestures and small things, something that had meaning. He wanted to prove to her that he knew her, that he knew what she was like and what she liked to do and he'd told her all of what he'd had planned as they went about their last part of the day. Truly by the end of the day, there had only been enough time for one more activity, a ride on Bartok through the woods.

He hadn't known how his efforts might go when they arrived at a location he'd thought to have them take a small rest in…because it was the same place that they'd been in before, where he'd banished her. He knew it was a risky move because this place now held so many terrible memories for the both of them but…he wanted to take her there and have events play out differently. He wanted to take her there and have her show him a bit more of her magic, and…accept her. Just…take her in his arms and kiss her and tell her she was the greatest blessing he'd ever received. She was his greatest treasure.

Marayna had been understandably tense when she saw where they were, he'd felt her watching him a little more intently than normal and his heart both broke and thumped painfully in his chest for it. Breaking because he didn't want such bad memories to haunt her and knowing it was his fault they were, and thumping because he was so hoping this would work and the bad memories could be put to rest.

He knew he had a very long way to go before he could earn Marayna's forgiveness even if she claimed to accept his apology. He had done a horrible thing to the woman he claimed to love. He knew she somewhat blamed herself for his reaction, because she HAD kept such a large and life-altering secret from him, she knew his background, she knew the way he'd been raised and how his father was, the lessons he'd been given about magic. A shock like the one he'd had, where he'd been dying and then suddenly not and seeing her eyes flashing and his mind jumping right to sorceress and magic and evil…it was just an entirely too big mess and he really just wanted to try and mend that. He wanted her to be able to follow him to a place like that and not be hesitant around him.

A short while into their rest it seemed to be working just a little. He was lying on the blanket he'd brought, his one arm behind his head, his legs crossed, his other arm around Marayna as they watched the sky start to darken, the sun setting. They were going to pack up and head back to Camelot when the sun had finished setting, they just loved the image too much. But Marayna was right beside him, her one arm draped across his stomach, resting her head on his shoulder, her hand absently tracing patterns which he suspected might be runes on his chest.

"Did you enjoy your day?" he asked her, shifting his head slightly to look at her.

She smiled, "It was wonderful, thank you Arthur," she leaned over and gave him a quick peck, "I have to ask though," she looked into his eyes, "Why did you pick here to stop?"

"I…" he sighed, "I wanted to ask if you would mind…showing me some of your magic."

She blinked, "Are you sure?" she felt she had to ask as he'd been spending quite a few days just…trying to process what he'd been told from after banishing her. He'd ask questions here or there about an event as he tried to work some of it out himself. But he hadn't actually ASKED to see the magic yet.

"I am," he nodded, looking at her intently, "I want to see that all my father told me is not true. I have heard of your deeds, and Merlin's and Morgana's, and I have only seen small feats of magic," if one didn't count Merlin saving her life, "But…I'd like to see just…magic. What can it be used for other than defending the castle or attacking?"

Marayna had to smile at that, "Well, Merlin and I got quite good at using it to do this," her eyes flashed and Arthur immediately tensed under her at the sight and closed his eyes in shame of doing so, "Finally," she murmured.

His eyes snapped open to see her smiling at him, "What?"

She let out a small laugh, "Arthur you don't have to hide your discomfort with magic..."

"I'm not uncomfortable around magic," he defended quickly, not wanting to upset her to know he...he really WAS uncomfortable around it.

"You tensed."

"Your eyes flashed," he instantly countered, wincing at basically admitting to what she'd said.

"And that's ok," she told him, making him look at her, "Arthur, to be honest...your apparent acceptance of all things magic is a bit disturbing."

He blinked, "It...is?" that hadn't been his intention, his intention had been to prove to her that he accepted her, magic and all, and to prove that he really WOULD change the laws one day and to try and show how sorry he was for what he'd done in not letting her explain herself and...

"Yes," she laughed more this time, "Arthur, you're the son of Uther Pendragon, the most anti-magic person in the world probably. I understand," she added, looking at him intently, "I really do. It'll take time for you to feel comfortable around me or Merlin or Morgana when we have to use magic. Whether it's days or weeks or even months, as...as long as you can promise you won't you know, have us executed for it, then we can wait however long it takes for you to be ready. Trying to cover it up like now," she tapped his chest, "It's only going to hurt us all in the end. Morgana told me that when you get really worried about something you try to ignore it entirely and I don't want that, I don't want us to end up with you ignoring my magic and pretending it isn't there."

He let out a breath, "I'm sorry Mara..." he was, he was so sorry he couldn't just...accept her magic instantly, he wanted to, he wanted to show her he loved all of her and, he might love her magic, but...decades upon decades of lessons against it were hard to overcome.

"Don't be," she murmured, "It will take time. All things do. I'm...learning to be a princess, for you, little by little. You can learn a little more about magic for me. Is that a fair trade?"

"Yeah," he smiled at her, nodding, "When did you get as wise as your brother?"

"Well," she shrugged, "When one's husband is a clotpole, one has to make up for the lack of wisdom somehow."

"Hey," he laughed, poking her side to make her squirm, though he was...relieved, she was taking his hesitancy and his instinctual reactions so well and not seeing it as an utter betrayal all over again. She was right, it would STILL take a while before he saw anyone's eyes flashing gold and didn't automatically think a spell was coming his way.

"Look over there," Marayna nodded to the side and he glanced over to see his sword rising up into the air with its whetstone…and begin to sharpen itself.

He blinked, "So you've been complaining about all the chores I've given you and this entire time you've been using magic to get through them?"

She laughed, "_Some_times," she corrected, "When you gave us more than was physically possible to do in a day we'd cheat a bit. We actually had to take to locking our door so Gaius wouldn't walk in on us after the first few times he saw us."

He looked at her, "You do realize if you'd been caught you'd both have been executed then…"

"You sound just like uncle," she muttered, before shifting, crossing her arms slightly to rest them on his chest, her chin on her arms as she looked down at him, "It would have been a rather silly thing to be executed for though, imagine, a servant executed for actually finishing their chores."

He smiled a little at that, "What other things have you used magic for foolishly?"

She hummed, thinking, "I once had to use it to lift a spoon of mush to my mouth because I couldn't move…after being poisoned. There were instances of keys levitating behind you, dragon shapes in embers drifting in the night air, a horse in the smoke…"

"That was you?" Arthur looked at her sharply, recalling the event that had summoned the first Witchfinder back to Camelot.

"Merlin, actually," she sighed, "We'd been working all day and just…wanted one little thing to amuse us, to make the day brighter. It was only for a second, it was just a horse galloping…and Uther launched a witchhunt for it."

"I'm sorry," he reached up to touch her cheek, "Mara I…I want to help. I want to help stop the madness that seems to have taken my father. Using magic for something like that?" he shook his head, even HE could admit some of the things she described were nowhere near execution worthy just because magic was invovled, "To be killed just for lifting a spoon? That is…that's wrong and I want to stop it."

"We do too," she nodded.

"Then let me help."

Marayna blinked, "You ARE helping," she reminded him, "You just helped us stop the Manticore and…"

"But _I_ didn't," it was HIS turn to remind HER this time, "You and Merlin, Morgana, and Gwen did that. The moment you worked out it was something magical it was like…a…well practiced song, all of you playing your parts and knowing your roles and…I…didn't know what to do."

Marayna tilted her head with a soft smile, "Ohh, did the prince feel left out?"

"A bit, yes," he admitted, "I…I want to defend my kingdom, protect my people and I mean ALL my people. Even if it means protecting them from my father's law," he added, "I just…I've never _truly_ done that before. I don't know where to start and…all of you seem to be the experts on it. I want to learn, I just…don't know how I would fit into it. I have but a sword, and a sword is rather useless when only magic can wound a beast."

"Unless the sword is enchanted," Marayna remarked, "And Merlin and I have plenty of experience doing that as well. With Griffins and Questing Beasts and…"

"And I want to help you," he cut in gently, "If you'll let me. You have my sword, enchanted or not."

She smiled at him for that, "I'm sorry if you felt left out Arthur," she reached out a hand to gently trace his face with a finger, "It wasn't our intention. I suppose…we're just used to it being the four of us, and uncle, working out what's happening and trying to keep it from you."

"Why did you," he wondered, "Keep so much of it from me? I understand not wanting your magic revealed and…" he let out a self-disappointed breath, "I admit I did not listen to you as much as I realize I should have. But…you said nothing about many things to me."

"I suppose it was just us not wanting to darken your view of magic any more than Uther already had," she shrugged, thoughtful, "There were moments you seemed to realize it wasn't all evil in magic and we clung to those moments Arthur. They sustained us and the thought of doing anything or telling you anything about certain events that were sure to hinder that, to change those thoughts back to how they'd been…we didn't want that to happen. So we kept it from you. I'm sorry."

He nodded, reaching up to take her hand off his face, kissing the back of it as he held her, "I understand then but what of now? Now that I know? I was barely able to follow all your work with the manticore," and he hated to admit that, to admit he'd really had no idea what was going on.

She sighed, "Uther is your father."

He blinked, "I was unaware of that," he remarked dryly.

"Hush," she laughed, rolling her eyes at him, "I meant…it's still hard for me, for US," she corrected, "To think to tell you and to realize you're sitting right there listening to us talk about magic. One reason we didn't tell you before was because it would have meant, if you'd taken it well, forcing you to face your father every day and know you were lying to him by not telling him about us and our magic. We would have been making you pick between your wife and your father and that wasn't fair. And now that you know, perhaps we just think the less you still know the less you'll have to lie to him. It's easier to pretend it's still just the four of us than to realize that YOU would be a part of the treason we commit every time something like this happens. If you were ever caught helping us Arthur…"

"Shh," he cut her off gently, seeing her getting concerned, "I do not believe it treason if the law the treason affects is, in itself, wrong. It is not an injustice if the law is unjust. It needs to be changed," he agreed, "I cannot change it until I am king, but I CAN help fight against it. Please Mara," he whispered, "Let me help you."

She smiled at him, nodding, in that moment seeing that…he wasn't going to betray them again, he really HAD accepted that not all magic was evil, "Ok," and then she started to giggle slightly.

"What?" he started to laugh as well, "What is it?"

"It's just…you, the Prince of Camelot, the greatest knight of them all, the self-proclaimed killing machine…just had to ask your wife's permission for something near enough."

"Well," he shrugged, winding his arms around her, "When my wife is a Queen and I a mere prince…"

She laughed heartily at that, leaning in to kiss him soundly, winding her arms around his neck as his moved more firmly around her waist…only for him to pull away sharply with a hiss of pain, "What's wrong?"

"I think something's burning a hole in your pocket…" he frowned looking at his hand where a small red mark was forming from where something had burned him.

Marayna blinked, before her eyes widened, "Oh!" she quickly scrambled to sit up, reaching into her dress's pocket for the object.

But Arthur jolted forward, "Don't!" he cried, grabbing her hand, "It'll burn you too…"

"It's ok Arthur," she smiled reassuringly at him and pulled the object out. It looked like a small sliver of red crystal, like a tiny shard but it was glowing, "Um…" she winced, not in pain but seemingly in what the shard's glow represented as she slipped it back into her pocket, "You really want to have more of a part in all of this?" she gestured haphazardly around, more meaning magic than anything in particular around them.

"Yes?" he nodded, not quite sure what she was getting at.

"Arthur…what do you know of the Bloodguard?"

"The…who?"

She nodded, she should have expected that, "The Bloodguard is a group of sorcerers that are meant to protect the High Priestess…like…the knights protect the prince."

"Ok, but what does that have to do with…"

"One of them is on their way, and close," she cut in, "That crystal was sent to me only a few days after Morgana was returned."

Arthur nodded slowly at that, recalling how Morgana and Merlin had told him about Morgana's return, the Blood Oath she'd taken for her loyalty, the things Morgause had tried to teach her, among other things. Merlin had mentioned that Morgause had claimed the title of High Priestess and that a small group of sorcerers that were protecting her had revolted when they learned she was not the real High Priestess. He supposed those were the Bloodguard.

"It warms when they need to speak to me," she continued, "And glows when they are close…they may be here within moments it was that bright."

"Right," he swallowed, "Will they be agreeable to my presence?"

She smiled, "They'll have to be, you're my husband. Fair warning though," she pushed herself up, "They aren't exactly pleased with you at the moment for the whole banishment event."

"They can't be more disgusted in me than I am in myself," he countered, getting up as well and taking her hand as they faced the forest, moments before one lone man stepped out of it.

He was tall, with short black hair, curly, his eyes were ice blue and he was pale. His features were very sharp and angular, with quite pronounced cheekbones. He was wearing dark clothing from what Arthur could make out under his equally dark cloak. The man took one look at the prince and scowled at him, but moved over to Marayna, dropping to a knee, his fist coming to press against his opposite shoulder, his head bowed, "My Lady."

"I've told you before Benedict," she huffed, "Stop that."

The man gave a nod of his head, but Arthur could see from similar actions of his own knights that the man had no intentions of stopping whatever it was Marayna had requested, whether it was the formal bowing or calling her a Lady he didn't know, probably both.

"You wished to speak with me?" she continued when he made no other move to rise.

The man, Benedict, took this as a sign and did rise now, looking at her, focusing on Marayna and entirely ignoring Arthur's presence, much to the prince's annoyance, "I wished to give my report of our endeavors."

"What endeavors?" Arthur asked.

"After they realized who I was," Marayna explained, "I met with Benedict upon receiving the stone. We spoke at length about what I wanted the Bloodguard to do in absence."

"Absence?" he glanced at her.

"The Bloodguard are to protect the High Priestess at all times," Benedict recited.

"But I couldn't exactly have a small army of sorcerers following me everywhere and there was no way all of them would be able to blend in with Uther lurking about," Marayna sighed, "So we came to a compromise."

"We patrol the forests," Benedict stated, "We prevent creatures the traitor Morgause sends to attack Camelot from reaching the castle. We turn other enemies she has manipulated away. We even manage to prevent Morgause herself from reaching the castle at times."

Arthur blinked, "Is that why…"

"Why there haven't been any serious attacks on Camelot recently?" Marayna guessed. Things HAD been quite quiet the last few months, more so than in other years. Most recent attacks had come from within the castle or from very minor sorcerers, some who probably didn't even have magic but had bought a magical item, it was all…very calm and easy compared to the attacks of the past, "You've done well," she nodded at Benedict.

The man smiled, pleased with that, "My Lady," he nodded his head to her, making her roll her eyes.

"Call me that again and I'll be having you for a newt," she told him.

But the man just gave another nod, the silent 'My Lady' was still clear in the air though.

"What was your report?" she got right back to it, wanting to call an end to the day now and go back to the castle with her husband.

"We have prevented 4 beasts, 9 sorcerers, and 2 attempts by the traitor Morgause," he said, "However there is still one threat to your safety High Priestess. But it can be dealt with right now."

Marayna frowned and blinked, "And what's that?"

Before she could even blink again, Benedict had lashed out and slammed his fist into Arthur's face when the prince hadn't been expecting it and went flying back onto his bum.

Marayna turned to Benedict with an eyebrow raised and her hands on her hips, but the man merely smiled, "My Lady," he bowed his head, turning and striding off back into the forest as Marayna sighed and shook her head.

"I'm sorry about him," she moved to kneel beside Arthur, reaching out to touch his now-tender face, "He's only just been made the head of the Bloodguard and he takes his position and my safety very seriously."

"And he would have killed me if I hadn't been your husband?" Arthur guessed.

"Probably," she nodded, blunt as ever.

He sighed and flopped back down on the blanket, reaching out a hand to her and tugging her down onto him with a laugh, "Well then, how shall I thank my wife for her protection?"

She smiled, sensing something deeper in his words, not just talking about Benedict but…about all she and the others had done to keep him safe since they'd met him, "Just…do as you promised," she murmured, "And help us."

He looked at her intently, "As_ my Lady_ commands," he gave her a teasing smile.

"Shut up!" she laughed, whacking him on the chest and trying to get up but he tugged her back down and kissed her again, the two of them spending a little more time out on their day together, taking a moment to enjoy the stars and each other.

A/N: ...I bet you can imagine who I see playing 'Benedict' lol ;) I sort of wanted to have a chapter of like a mini-recuperation for Arayna :) Get a little bit of truth out there, have Arthur helping and trying to prove to himself that despite not knowing about Marayna's magic, he DOES know his wife ;)

Next chapter though...big things coming }:)

Some notes on reviews...

I can say that the end of this story will only be the beginning and open up potential for an original 'sequel' that I'll mention more of in the very last chapter of the Prophecies ;)

Oh Morgana will be taking an even bigger step in sorting out the magical issues of Camelot very soon ;)

I think Arthur took it a little too well too :) I feel like it's a combination of shock, guilt, and trying to prove he's 'strong' and can handle things when he's really just putting on a show and freaking out internally lol :)


	18. Queen of Hearts

Queen of Hearts

Morgana was sleeping peacefully, as she always did when she was in Merlin's arms. She had grown so used to this, to the comfort he provided, the warmth and security and love that she couldn't imagine what her life would be like without him, where her path might have taken her if not for him.

She smiled widely, dreaming a vision, one that was more like a more detailed version of the dream she'd had before Marayna had arrived in Camelot. It was of Marayna's coronation day as Queen, she'd looked so lovely and Arthur was beaming, she and Merlin were there as well, looking on happily…but then the image changed…Morgause was there (but not there at the same time) in the back, glaring at Marayna…and the image shifted again, to Marayna, sitting up in bed, with...with a small bundle wrapped in a red blanket with the Pendragon crest on it in her arms, a baby, Arthur beside her and looking down with tears in his eyes, overjoyed.

She'd dreamed of this particular event often, Marayna holding a baby in her arms, prayed for it despite knowing for years now that Marayna couldn't have children, and she was always thrilled when she saw the look of joy on Arthur's face. She hadn't ever told Merlin or Marayna about it, her dreams…often came true but…knowing what she did about Marayna, she didn't want to give them false hope incase her own wishes were somehow blending into her visions now. She knew it was impossible for Marayna to have a baby, she was too scarred from what had happened to her as a child. Gaius had said it MIGHT be possible for her to conceive, however difficult it might be, but that she wouldn't be able to carry the baby, that it would be lost before it could even truly start to grow. But that was in the _very_ unlikely event that she did manage to conceive.

But then the dream took a sudden shift…she was in a castle, a dark castle, and Morgause was there, speaking to Cenred…she'd had the _same_ vision.

~8~

Morgana and Merlin sat before Gwen, Gaius, Arthur, and Marayna in the physician's quarters that morning, Morgana telling them about her dream, leaving out a scrap of information or two, speaking more about how Morgause seemed on a warpath.

"What exactly happens in the dreams?" Arthur asked, still a bit wary of magic.

"They show you and Rayna…" Morgana hesitated, before deciding she needed to tell them, "With a child. You're sitting on bed, with a beautiful baby in your arms, and you look so happy Arthur…I've dreamed of it often, too often, I fear, for it to just be a dream."

"There are some dreams that are so powerful they often repeat," Gaius remarked, "It is the sign of a prophecy."

"But how is that possible?" Marayna shook her head, "I…I _can't_ have children. YOU told me that uncle," she looked at Gaius.

"Sometimes…miracles happen," was all Gaius could shrug out, though he knew that not even Alice would have been able to help with something like this. Perhaps when the scarring was fresh, when she'd been younger, but not now, too much time had passed, "Sometimes wounds we think shall never heal, do. I cannot say, my dear, _if_ it will happen, or how."

Marayna looked down at that, feeling as though it were more wishful thinking on Morgana's part that was influencing her visions. GAIUS had told her she couldn't have children, her uncle wouldn't lie about that or tell her something so detrimental at such a young age if it wasn't true.

"And now that we know Morgause knows, or at least fears that there's a possibility that there may be a child, we know what she'll try to do," Merlin sighed.

"Kill me," Arthur said.

"Or kill Rayna," Gwen reminded him.

"Probably me," Marayna nodded, reaching out to pat Arthur's hand as it rested on the table, "She'd want you to suffer Arthur."

"Wonderful," he sighed, rubbing his face, THIS was why he feared he couldn't completely and instantly accept Marayna, or Merlin, or Morgana's magic, so many people that had it kept trying to hurt the people he loved the most.

~8~

Later that morning would find Gwen and the other servants attending to the royal family, and Merlin, as they ate breakfast in the dining hall, "What news from the northern borders?" Uther asked Arthur.

"There've been a number of minor skirmishes," he shrugged, watching Marayna eat her food, he'd been paying more attention to her since Morgana had said she had a baby in the future, he wanted to be the first to know, besides her, if that miracle of Gaius's would happen and if she might be with child.

So far…no cravings.

"You think Odin is testing our defenses?" Uther looked over to see Arthur gazing at his wife, "Arthur, are you listening?"

"What's that?" Arthur jumped.

Uther, instead of being upset when Arthur's jump knocked his goblet of wine into his lap, just chuckled, "Arthur, come with me," he got up.

Arthur sighed, getting up. He dropped a kiss to Marayna's head before he followed. Marayna rolled her eyes and looked at Merlin and Morgana, who were watching her also, "I'm NOT pregnant," she reaffirmed.

Honestly, if she ever miraculously found herself pregnant, she'd be a sobbing wreck and they'd certainly know it!

~8~

Out in the hall, Uther was wiping his shirt off with a cloth, "Father I apologize, I was distracted and…"

Uther just clapped him on the shoulder "I was the same way."

Arthur blinked, NOT expecting him to be so calm about his ruined shirt, normally the man would fly into a rage about how he needed to pay attention, but he seemed...in a rather good mood today, "You...were?"

"As hard as it may be to believe," Uther chuckled, "I was young and in love once as well," he patted Arthur on the back, "I could not keep my eyes off of your mother after we'd wed either and you have not been wed all that long."

Arthur nodded along with that, as though THAT were the reason he was staring at Marayna so, and watched his father walk off, grateful that Marayna seemed to remind the man of Ygraine enough for him to overlook a few…tendencies of hers.

~8~

Arthur was sitting in his chambers later that day, Marayna and Merlin on rounds with Gaius, not about to leave the old man alone when they could help it. Marayna, after her first day as princess had seemed determined to make sure that everyone was aware she was still the same servant who had worked among them and wandered the market tripping over things, she was just...tripping in a nicer gown at the moment. Her last walk in the market with him a few weeks ago had done wonders for how the others treated her, but she still liked to go with her brother and uncle at times, adding more strength to her sentiment as they'd often wandered the Lower Towns together.

He smiled down at a scrap of paper on his desk, having been jotting down a few notes and thoughts on it, creating a little list. He looked up only when there was a knock on the door and merely placed the list down instead of hiding it, knowing it wasn't Merlin or Marayna as the person had _knocked_. His thoughts were proven correct when Morgana peeked in, "Morgana," he smiled.

"Arthur, am I disturbing you?" she asked, stepping into the room. She had wanted to talk to him ever since she'd brought up what her dream had been about. She didn't like how he was so…calm about all this. Morgause was about to possibly try and kill his wife and he was just...sitting there, smiling, acting as calm as ever without a single scrap of concern on his face…or so it seemed.

She knew him better than that though. She knew he only acted overly calm when he was really secretly worried about something. And she knew Marayna too. Arthur's calm would soon start to take the form of protection, then over protection, then smothering...and then they'd have a dead prince on their hands. It was really best to nip this in the bud before it could reach that point.

"No," he gestured her in more, "Come in. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Well, I was worried about Rayna," she moved to sit across from him, "You were jumpy at breakfast."

"Just…thinking."

"About Morgause?" she asked.

"No, Mara," he smiled again.

"Arthur…you need to take this seriously," she began, "I know Merlin and Rayna aren't worried, but…" she sighed, "They don't know what Morgause is truly capable of. Arthur…she's _dangerous_."

That was one thing she was especially worried about for the both of them. They had such extraordinary titles, High Priestess, Archmage, Witch Queen, Dragonlord, and she knew that they hadn't made either of them arrogant in the least, but it made her worried that one day they might underestimate someone. They'd thwarted Morgause so many times that she was afraid they might start to think her too easy to best and then something truly terrible would happen.

Arthur sighed, "You're right," he rubbed his face, "I suppose I just…I don't know how to deal with magical threats so...I leave it to them as I...I'm not yet fully comfortable around magic," he admitted hesitantly, but Morgana smiled at him for admitting that, better to be honest than end up resentful or tense from holding it in, "I was hoping that, if they weren't worried, I shouldn't be either. But I _am_."

Morgana nodded, at least pleased to know he was taking it serious, and glanced down at the parchment before him. She reached out and took it, smiling wider as she read through it, "Does Rayna know you're making a list of names for your children?"

"No," he snatched it back, "And I'd rather not have her made aware," he said pointedly, "She...I know she doesn't want to get her hopes up that your vision was real," he began, "She's spent decades thinking she wouldn't have a child and for you to say she might…she's having trouble coming to terms with that and thinking it more than just wishful thinking."

"And you don't?" Morgana eyed him, "You believe the vision?"

"I believe…that you've spent enough time practicing in your sight that you know the difference between wishful thoughts and true visions by now," he compensated, "If you truly think it's a vision, if even Morgause thinks it might happen…it might. I've only just learned of Mara's...injury, I haven't had the time she has to fully believe it won't happen. But I'd rather not let Mara see me getting excited about it. To her…she'll feel guilty thinking it won't happen and that she's let me down."

"You're doing well in making this up to her," Morgana offered.

"I'll never stop," he admitted, "I feel…" he swallowed hard, "I feel repulsive, dishonorable, to not have trusted her. I feel like the worst criminal to have reacted the way I did. And…all I can think of is what Mara would have said if she'd seen me reacting to someone else like that instead of her."

"And what's that?"

"She'd have had MY head for it," he smiled a bit, "She'd have gone off on me for not listening, for threatening to end someone's life who had just healed me. For not…for not listening to my heart as it screamed that someone I truly loved wouldn't have betrayed me. She'd have told me that I was acting like my father and turning deaf to any arguments or defense against what I perceived was a slight just because of a mention of magic."

Morgana looked at him, amused, "Well, if you can manage to listen to that voice of hers in your head when she's not there…we may just make a great king of you yet."

Arthur laughed and threw a small ball of paper at her for that remark, the two of them continuing to talk about everything till it was time to meet their loves at the end of their rounds.

~8~

"I was thinking," Arthur began as he walked with Marayna through the Lower Towns, having gone to meet her returning with Merlin and Gaius. She had really wanted to stretch her legs more and keep walking so he'd offered to go with her as Gaius and Merlin went back to the castle with Morgana. He'd only just learned it was all part of a small plot in her head…to make him more approachable to the peasants even when dressed in his more royal clothing. To walk among them, to be available for them to see and talk to as they walked causally instead of needing a formal meeting with him…it made him appear more among THEM and less higher up. It made them respect him more for him to be around them and in a more average setting.

"Do you want me to get Gaius to make you a potion for you headache?" she smirked teasingly at him.

"Funny," he rolled his eyes, "As I was saying…how about we take a picnic?"

"What, today?" she laughed, she didn't have THAT much energy to spare.

"No, no, tomorrow," he reassured her, the stroll through the village with Gaius had taken twice as long as they thought it might and despite her desire to keep walking, he didn't think she'd be up for another trip so soon.

She eyed him a moment, "You're not going to try to feed me or poke my stomach or anything are you?"

He winced, apparently she'd noticed his wonderings, "I promise I won't."

"Good," she nodded, "Because Arthur…I really…" she swallowed, glancing around before lowering her voice so none of the others wandering around could hear, "I truly _don't_ think Morgana saw that," she told him, "I think she _wants_ it to happen, but I don't think it _will_."

"If it does or doesn't," he lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to the back of it, "It makes no difference to me," he looked at her, "I married you, knowing there may be no children, and if there are none…it is all expected."

"Thank you," she smiled.

"And…" he nudged her slightly, "IF there are children, or even a child…well…" he leaned in to kiss her cheek, "Then he or she will be our miracle."

She closed her eyes a moment, resting her head to his, "You're getting closer and closer to my good graces," she remarked.

"Good," he mimicked her, giving her a kiss on the lips.

"Can I ask what brought this about?" she glanced at him as they resumed their walking.

"I just…thought you might like to get away from the castle for a bit."

"And it has nothing to do with the fact that there's a council meeting tomorrow that you'd rather not be a part of?"

He smirked, "Not at all."

"Well then, my mission has been a success."

"What mission?" he laughed.

"To corrupt the prince of Camelot," she smirked up at him.

"Well then," he leaned in, kissing her, "We should see the fruits of your labors come to bear eh?"

She just smiled and pulled him off towards the castle and their rooms. IF there was going to be a child, then there was no harm in trying now even if she knew _nothing_ was going to come from it.

~8~

"I cannot wait!" Marayna cheered as she hid herself behind the changing screen in hers and Arthur's rooms.

Merlin laughed from where he was sitting on the end of her bed, on a chest at the foot of it…not really feeling comfortable sitting on the bed his sister shared with her husband, "Never would have thought you'd be so excited for a date with Arthur."

"Oh not that!" she laughed, "I can't wait to get out of this dress!" she threw it over the top, "Time outside the castle means I get to wear _these_ again!" she stepped out, wearing her black leggings, her purple tunic, and boots she'd worn the first day she'd arrived.

He smiled at her, "And even in that you look lovely."

She just rolled her eyes as he held out an arm and escorted her out. Arthur wanted it to be a surprise and had only told Merlin where to take her. It wasn't all that far really, just a short distance away from the castle, in a lovely clearing.

They paused, seeing Arthur standing before a blanket set out with food…fixing his hair in the shining silver platter he was holding. It had nearly made Marayna laugh out loud at the sight had Merlin not put a finger to his lips to signal her to be quiet for a moment.

He gave her a wink before cupping his mouth and crying out, "Caw! Caw!"

Arthur dropped the platter and spun around, ducking down in the process, looking about ready to pull his sword had he not left it on the blanket and not attached to his person…only to see them walking over, nearing the stream that separated them.

"Mara, you look..." Arthur began, staring at her, he recognized that outfit…

"I think he's trying to say you look nice," Merlin whispered loudly to her.

"Either that or we've accidently replaced his brain with a fish's," she joked back.

Arthur rolled his eyes, "Yes, thank you, Merlin. That'll be all."

"Have fun," Merlin smiled, kissing his sister's temple before he headed back.

Marayna looked at the river, at the moss covered stepping stones, and smirked. Her eyes flashed and the stones floated up, turning over to reveal themselves flat and walked across it.

Arthur managed a tiny laugh at that, shaking his head at that. He really…couldn't believe, the more he saw of how she and Merlin used magic, that he had thought it evil. Slowly but surely he was trying to get comfortable around it. Seeing little displays like this made it easier. Merlin had conjured a small butterfly of light when he'd walked in on the man speaking to his sister after they'd found her again. And to see Marayna using it for this, for something so simple, and non-evil, well…it was so hard to believe he'd once been so blinded into thinking that _every single person_ who had magic was evil.

He reached out, holding out a hand to help her across, pulling her in closer, kissing her…both of them unaware that, somewhere far, far away, the sorceress Morgause was watching them in her crystal before she smirked and disappeared in a swirl of wind.

~8~

Marayna smiled as she laid beside Arthur, the sun beaming down on them, "Hungry?" he asked her dangling a bit of grapes over her.

"Who would have thought you knew how to serve someone," she smirked at him, opening her mouth.

He laughed, "I only ever serve you," he whispered, kissing her munching mouth.

"It's so different out here, isn't it?" she murmured, "Not being in Camelot."

"I love Camelot more than I can say," Arthur sighed, "But when I'm there, sometimes I feel I can hardly breathe everyone expects so much of me. Being here with you? I can be myself."

"I'm glad I'm one of the few who get to see it," she leaned up on her elbows, "I wish the rest of the kingdom could as well."

"Sometimes I dream of leaving Camelot," he admitted to her.

"Really?" she scoffed, "And where would you go? What would you do?"

"I don't know. Somewhere where nobody knew who I was. I'd get some land and become a farmer."

She snorted, "Sorry but…YOU? Toiling away in the fields all day? You barely lasted a day as a servant inside a castle!"

"Well, obviously I'd take your brother with me, he can do all the hard work."

"He's your brother now too," she reminded him, "Not that Morgana would ever allow you to take him away from her," she smiled at the thought, so pleased that her brother had someone who loved him so much, "You'd have to be sure to select an area where magic is allowed though, then at least I can help you."

"Help as in…"

"As in turn you into a toad without fear of being slaughtered if you turn back into a prat."

He rolled over to look at her, staring intently, suddenly far more serious than before, "It must be hard, for you, you and Merlin and Morgana," he murmured, "To live with that fear all the time, just because Camelot's your home now."

"It's not so bad," she sighed, before seeing him giving her a look, "It's more…we're afraid we'll get into trouble for something _stupid_. Like…we'll be put to death because we levitated a spoon to our mouth because our arm was broken or something than to die saving Camelot," she looked up at the sky, "We wouldn't mind it, you know."

"Wouldn't mind what?"

"Dying for Camelot," she looked at him, reaching out to trace his face with her hands, "We'd gladly give our lives, expose our magic if it meant helping the kingdom than to hide in the shadows and watch it fall."

"I'm sorry for that," he turned his head, kissing her fingers, "That you'd be executed for doing such a magnificent deed for the kingdom. With nothing but honorable intentions in your heart."

"We are too."

"One day it will change Mara," he took her hand, "I _swear_ to you, one day I'll bring _good_ magic back."

She smiled at that, "It's a nice thought, but I won't believe it till I see it. You Pendragons…you change your mind about magic like the wind changes direction."

"I _won't _change it from this, Mara…you mean the world to me. And you're so…_good_. Magic cannot all be evil if YOU have it."

She smiled, "Thank you Arthur," before she leaned in, "You know," she murmured, "I think you've just made up for banishing me."

He grinned, "I'm glad," and finished with a kiss, the two of them moving closer to each other as they deepened it…

Only for them to pull away suddenly at the sound of horses stomping at a gallop towards them, the knights of Camelot upon the horses, all of them glaring…

At Marayna…

~8~

_One hour earlier…_

Uther nodded to the council members as they left the Main Hall, the meeting coming to a close as he smiled. His son and daughter-in-law had mysteriously gone missing during the meeting. He knew he should be angry but it was hard with such young love in play. He remembered what it was like to love Ygraine, the small things they'd get into when they'd hide away from meetings and responsibilities for a few hours.

"My Lord," Gaius stepped up to him, hesitantly, a book in his hands.

"Gaius," he turned to him, seeing the solemn look in the man's yes, making him frown and stiffen, "What is the matter?"

"I am…" Gaius shook his head, "I don't know how to say this Uther…I feel so betrayed…"

Uther stood, "What is it my friend?"

Gaius held out the book, "I found this…in _Marayna's_ things when I was gathering them to have them taken to Arthur's chambers."

Uther looked down, opening the book, only to drop it on the table as though he'd been burned, a scowl on his face, "Sorcery!"

It was a magic book!

"That is not the worst of it majesty," he turned and opened the book, "I have found this page marked," he showed him, "And it is especially troubling…"

Uther glared at it as though it were a terrible disease ridden thing, but also one he couldn't quite make out as it was written in the tongue of the Old Religion, he did recognize some words in it though, "What is it?"

"It's a spell, my Lord," he sighed, "A poultice, a charm…"

"An enchantment!" Uther spat, "She has enchanted Arthur!"

"No my Lord, it…" Gaius shook his head, seeming to have tears in his eyes.

"What is it Gaius?" Uther turned to the old man, but Gaius just shook his head, seeming pained and unable to speak. He reached out and put a hand on Gaius's shoulder, squeezing it, "I promise no harm will befall you, you clearly had no knowledge of what this sorceress was doing."

"It's an enchantment to engender trust, majesty," Gaius sighed, "It is meant to take distrust and reverse it."

Uther frowned a moment, not sure what Gaius was getting at.

"My Lord…I have _never _seen you take to a young woman, especially one from such…low station as my ne…" he swallowed, "As _Marayna_. I never thought you would ever approve of your son, the Crown Prince, marrying a barren bastard servant girl from another village. I've never seen you this calm when Arthur has missed a meeting before either…"

Uther's eyes widened, "That sorceress!" he spat, rushing to the guards, "Search my rooms!" he ordered, stalking off after them.

Gaius smirked as he watched the man go before sauntering out of the Main Hall in a very…un-Gaius-like manner, heading to his chambers. He paused as he opened the door and stepped in, closing it behind him and smirking when he saw _Gaius _sleeping soundly on a cot…and his image shimmered, revealing none other than Morgause standing in his place.

"Let's see her get out of THIS one," she laughed, disappearing in a swirl of wind and dust…

~8~

Gaius winced as he stirred a potion, he'd fallen asleep earlier, something not uncommon on warm, slow days, he'd try to get a small nap in here or there. But this time he'd fallen asleep in the worst position it appeared and now his shoulder was stiff. He was just making a salve to sooth it when the door flew open.

"Gaius!" Uther shouted, rushing over with a lump of cloth in his hand, "Is it magical?" he handed it over.

Gaius frowned and looked at the lump, inspecting it, seeing signs of magical workings on it, "I believe so," he nodded, "These are the symbols of the Old Religion," he gestured to two of them, "Why?"

"Could it be used to cast an enchantment?"

"That would be one use of such a poultice, yes," he nodded, "But what for…"

"This enchantment, could it cause someone to trust another implicitly?"

Gaius was startled for a moment, that was EXACTLY what the symbols along it meant, but how could Uther know that, he did not go near anything magical, "It is entirely possible. May I ask where it was found?"

"It was discovered in MY chambers," Uther took it, glaring at it before spinning around, shouting to the guards that had accompanied him, "Find Marayna and bring her to me immediately!"

"What?!" Gaius cried as he rushed off after Uther, but the man was already striding down the hall. He turned on his heel and ran back the way he'd come, up the stairs towards Morgana's chambers where he knew Merlin and Gwen were also with the lady.

~8~

_Present..._

"What is the _meaning_ of this?!" Arthur demanded as he was shoved into the Main Hall, his father sitting upon his throne.

"Hold him back!" Uther ordered the guards who rushed forward to hold Arthur to the side, "Bring her forward!" he nearly spat, glaring at Marayna as she was dragged before him.

"Father!" Arthur snapped, "What are you doing?! Unhand her!" he cried to the guards, "That is my _wife_!"

Uther merely sneered down at Marayna as she was forced to her knees before him, "You recognize it?" he glared, holding up the poultice.

Marayna eyed it, "It's a poultice," she remarked dryly.

"So you admit it is yours!"

"I admit I know what a poultice is," she corrected, "My uncle IS your physician, have you any idea how many he makes in a month? I'd have to be a blind idiot to NOT be able to recognize one. If you're asking me, however," she stood, "If it's one I made, no, it is not. I prefer to tie mine with a bow," she eyed the knot that tied the top of it.

"You expect me to believe such lies?" Uther nearly seemed ready to snarl at her but Marayna just looked at him, seeming more exasperated than scared…something Arthur couldn't quite believe till he recalled just how many times she and her brother had been dragged before the court on grounds of (what might have actually been) well founded sorcery, only to be found innocent, "This was found in MY chambers to enchant me!" he threw the poultice at her feet, "YOU put it there!"

"And when was I supposed to have done that?" she asked him, "It smells a bit too fresh to me, it couldn't have been there long and I've been a bit busy trying to adjust to being a princess…on YOUR command, if you'll recall."

"If you know the duration of its make then it is clearly because you MADE it!" he argued, "With the sole purpose of enchanting me to trust you with my son," he glared at her, seeming murderous.

She blinked, "Are you completely mad?" she asked, shocking quite a few people in the court with her blunt words but, well, she was a princess now. Everyone kept telling her to act like it, might as well start with standing up to the king yes? "If I wanted you to trust me, I wouldn't have nearly been executed so many times already for sorcery, you'd have defended me and not ordered it to happen and have me rely on others to help clear my name! Or has your paranoia warped your memory as well as your judgment?"

"My Lord," Morgana spoke up, seeing Uther rise, about to strike her for sure, "Rayna has done nothing but prove her loyalty and trust since the day she arrived in Camelot!"

"I have no doubt she's feigned such loyalty while using her position to get close to my son," Uther spat, "I have been under the affects of an enchantment before," he declared, "I am aware I am under one even now!"

Marayna glanced at Arthur, recalling how he had taken his love for her as an enchantment as well and realizing Uther had warped the slow-building trust he had in her into an enchantment as well. She was a bit thankful for a moment that she couldn't have children, if it inherited that trait she was truly going to be frightened for the kingdom.

"Isn't the point of an enchantment to be that you DON'T know you're under it?" Marayna argued, "You wouldn't be aware that you're under one."

"And how would you know?" he narrowed his eyes at her, "Unless you've cast them before!"

"Or it could be the fact that your son seems prone to falling under them at the drop of a hat," she threw a hand out at Arthur, the prince flushing a bit at that, "And my brother and I have been forced to recognize the signs of it!"

"Well if you are so knowledgeable, tell me how it came to be in my rooms!"

"I don't know."

"Father," Arthur tried to speak up, "However it might have been there and for whatever purpose, you cannot honestly believe Mara put it there!"

"Until its spell is broken, I cannot give judgment in her favor."

"So you're going to just take everything I say as a lie, and give a judgment _against_ me then?" Marayna shook her head, unable to believe that. She knew Uther was a blind, paranoid, deaf man when it came to magic being mentioned…but this was ridiculous! She hated using her status but…she was Arthur's wife for god's sake and the man was casually talking about _murdering_ her!

"My Lord," Gaius stepped forward, trying to keep Merlin from jumping to her defense, "Whatever this poultice is, I don't believe that my niece is responsible for magic."

"YOU were the one who first brought this to my attention Gaius," Uther turned to him, the crowd breaking out into startled whispered, "Do not fall prey to sentiment now."

"Uncle?" Marayna looked at him, confused…only to see that Gaius looked equally, if not more so than she was.

'_It wasn't him, Aya,_' she heard Merlin call to her, '_He came running to us the moment Uther put out the order to seize you. He had NO idea what was going on…_'

'_What IS going on?_' she shook her head, truly feeling lost for the first time in a long time.

'_I don't know,_' Merlin murmured, seeming scared but knowing he needed to hold his tongue, as hard as it was. If ANYTHING happened to his sister, he needed to be able to get her out of there and he couldn't do that if he was also thrown in a cell.

"This is the ONLY rational explanation for why I would deem a servant acceptable for MY son," Uther continued.

"You deemed her acceptable because she makes me a better man!" Arthur tried to defend her, struggling against the guards, "Mara has done nothing wrong!"

"She has been found guilty of using magic and enchantments," Uther declared, "She will be burnt at the stake at dawn."

"No!" Arthur struggled more as Marayna stared at the king in horror, two guards rushing forward to grab her arms lest she try to escape, "You can't do this!"

"My Lord!" Gaius grabbed Merlin to hold him back, "At least give Rayna a fair trial!"

"I have all the evidence I need," Uther lifted his head.

"I'm begging you!" Arthur called as the stunned Marayna was led out of the hall, "We will leave Camelot and never return!" he tried, if he could just get her OUT of Camelot, somewhere magic was allowed, she wouldn't be executed, "Just…just let us go! I relinquish my entitlement to the throne!"

Uther looked at him, solemn, "I fear she may have enchanted you as well," he told Arthur, "My son would_ never_ do that. Search the prince's rooms!" he ordered another guard who quickly left to do just that.

"Father LOOK at her!" Arthur kept on, "IF she had magic she'd be escaping right now!" the SECOND those words left his mouth, Arthur regretted them. He still wasn't used to the idea that Marayna (or Merlin or Morgana) had magic and so his mind didn't even register that he was still defending them as though they didn't. And for him to say that…he'd sealed her fate.

If she escaped now…it would be seen as proof that she DID have magic.

"I will never forgive you for this," he told his father, tears in his eyes.

"She will die," Uther said with a casual wave of his hand, "The enchantment will be broken on the both of us. You'll see I was right. Take her away!" he called to the guards as they lingered at the door.

"Aya!" Merlin struggled to try and get to her, Gaius holding him back as Gwen ran behind the thrones to go help him.

"No!" Arthur struggled, "Mara!" he tried, as hard as he could, but the guards grip was too tight, "Mara!" he shouted, just as the doors closed behind her.

~8~

"This is all my fault," Arthur muttered as he paced back and forth in his rooms. There were guards outside the doors, a guard in the courtyard watching his window, a guard on the other side of every single door that led out of his rooms. He was trapped. His father was seeing to it that he not even attempt to get to Marayna as she sat in the dungeon.

"Arthur," Morgana breathed as she stood before him with tears in her eyes, Gwen tending to Gaius and Merlin.

Merlin had been wreck, he'd been an inch away from using his magic in front of everyone to the point where Gaius had had to force one of her old sleeping draughts down his throat to stop him, all of them knew Marayna would NOT want her brother exposed either and they knew they'd need his experience and mind to get her out of this one, "I'm so sorry…"

"I can't do this Morgana," he looked at her, "I cannot stand by and allow my father to…to burn her!"

"We'll figure something out Arthur," she walked over to him, "Believe me, Merlin will NOT see her burn, ever. We…we'll find a way to save her, I swear it to you."

Arthur looked at her, for the first time realizing the true severity and danger that she and Merlin and Marayna were living in with his father as king. Marayna hadn't even DONE anything and she was about to be executed. She had told him just before that their worst fears were being executed for something they didn't do or for something so simple that it was laughable that they'd be put to death over it. And now it was happening.

His father really was so BLIND to anything involving magic, he turned a deaf ear, he didn't look, he didn't listen, he only saw what he wanted to see and damned the rest of them for it.

"What will you do?" he whispered to her, "Mara would kill me if harm befell any of you in helping her."

"I don't know," Morgana had to admit, reaching out and hugging Arthur to her, feeling his body shake as he started to cry, something she knew he'd deny to the grave later, but…this was his wife, this was a wife who had nearly died because of his own reaction to her magic…and now it was happening again.

She closed her eyes tightly…they would think of something, she was sure of it, they'd find some way to save her. They had to.

~8~

"Aya!" Merlin shouted as he rushed to his sister's cell, seeing her staring out the back window at where a pyre was being built. It would be ready shortly, far too soon for them.

Uther had been adamant that it be as soon as possible. His knights and guards had worked through the night to build it. He wanted the 'stain' on the family gone, he could NOT allow the future Queen to be a sorceress. It was going to be a very…public and very quick event.

No waiting, no stalling, no time wasted.

"Merlin," Marayna turned to him, a sad smile on her face as she ran to the bars, reaching through them to hug her brother, glancing to the side to see guards down the halls, watching them, but far enough away to not be able to hear them, clearly trying to offer the new 'Lord' a moment with his sister. It seemed like her reaction in court had made quite a few people question if she'd really put the poultice there.

'_We're working on a way to get you out,_' he told her in her mind as he held her, trying to be quick so the guards wouldn't think the silence odd.

'_How?_' she frowned, '_Merlin don't do anything foolish or rash. I don't want to see you or Morgana on the pyre instead of me!_'

'_No, see…we both know it was Morgause who planted the poultice. Gaius is working on an aging potion so I can pretend to be an old sorcerer who did it and…_'

'_It won't work,_' she told him sadly, pulling away.

'_It will!_' he insisted, '_Gaius is working on it right now and…_'

'_And the pyre will be built before it's ready,_' she murmured, '_An aging potion takes a long time Merlin…the pyre,_' she glanced back at the window, recalling having read about them, '_It's nearly done._'

Merlin swallowed hard, he knew it was a long shot, but it was the only option they had that would see everyone safe, he just had to hope Gaius was fast enough, "Arthur wants me to let you know that he will do everything he can to convince Uther that you're innocent. He won't stop until you're released."

"Uther won't ever change his mind when it comes to magic," Marayna shook her head, "I've been accused far too often and now that he thinks he's enchanted…he'll see this through to the end."

"Don't give up hope Aya," he reached up to touch her cheek, "Please…there is still time," he told her meaningfully, referencing the potion.

She winced, hearing a horn blow and seeing the guards stiffen, "I really don't think there is."

They both knew what that meant…the pyre was ready enough and by the time she was led to it…it would be ready to burn.

~8~

Merlin had struggled, of course he had, when the guards stepped in to remove his sister from the cell. They'd had to hold him back, Marayna shouting at him to NOT do anything, giving him meaningful looks, telling him she'd murder him if he tried magic in his mind to keep him from doing that as well. And, just before he'd lost sight of her…

She'd smiled at him and winked.

THAT had been what had gotten him to stop his struggles and just…stare…not entirely sure what that meant, whether his sister had finally lost her mind, or if she had something up her sleeve. He was hoping for the latter though.

Marayna was honestly surprised though, by the amount of people that had shown up to see her burn. It was like all the nobles and peasants of the Lower Towns and half the kingdom were there. But she could see it in their eyes, most of them were more alarmed, more disbelieving this was happening. It was like they were only there to see if Uther was REALLY going to burn the princess of Camelot! She was royalty…even if it was just through marriage.

She walked solemnly towards the pyre, a drum roll going as Uther stood before her. She could see Morgana and Gwen beside him but behind, Gwen holding tight to Morgana's hands to try and keep her calm. Gaius was right beside Merlin where the guards had thrown him. Arthur was on his knees on the other side of the platform set up before the pyre, guards on either side of him, holding him down so he couldn't fight though he continued to struggle.

Uther waited till she had been helped up to the pyre, her arms bound behind her back by heavy manacles, before he smirked darkly at her, seeming far too pleased this was happening, "You have been found guilty of using magic and enchantments," he called, the drum roll stopping, the whispers of the crowd falling quiet, "In accordance with our law, you will be burned at the stake. Let this serve as a lesson to all those who seek to destroy Camelot," he eyed her a long while, "Have you any last words?"

Marayna looked around at all the people staring up at her, and then to Uther, "Yes, I do," she nodded, "I would like to ask…did you REALLY think it would be_ this_ easy?"

And in that moment Merlin realized just why she'd winked at him. She had NO intentions of allowing herself to be burnt for only a second after she'd said that, not even saying another word, her eyes flashed, the guards immediately drawing their swords, the crowd letting out a scream and gasp as they saw the magic at work, not sure what she was doing…

Till she pulled her hands in front of her, the manacles falling to the ground with a clatter.

"Light the pyre!" Uther cried, seeing her about to escape. He turned to look at Arthur, half expecting his son to be as outraged as he was...only to see Arthur seemed...relieved and NOT at ALL shocked that his wife had done that. His hand clenched into a fist at that, at the realization that he KNEW. Arthur KNEW his wife had magic and he'd remained quiet.

Well, he tried to remember, Arthur was enchanted as he was. Just because his guards hadn't found a poultice like with him didn't mean the foul sorceress hadn't gotten to his son as well.

A guard rushed forward and lit the bottom, the flames licking up and up and up, Marayna about to try a spell to stop the flames, to freeze them…

When Merlin rushed forward, his arms wide, "_Tídrénas!_" he shouted, the crowd jumping away from him as his eyes flashed…when a crack of thunder went through the sky and rain started to fall down, surprising them all.

'_Merlin…_' Marayna called to him, a sad smile on his face.

He just winked at her, '_Where you go, I go,_' he reminded her, though he cast a sorrowful, regretful, and apologetic look at Morgana, begging her with his eyes NOT to reveal herself as well, the two of them…after seeing HE had magic too, Uther would murder Morgana if she revealed herself as well.

"How many people, Uther Pendragon," Marayna called over the noise of the rain, "Stood on this pyre, or knelt with their heads on a block, or stood on a platform with a noose around their neck, who were declared sorcerers…yet didn't think to try and escape as easily as this?" she held up her unbound wrists.

"Guards!" Uther shouted.

But Marayna kept on, actually making them pause to listen to what she said, "They didn't escape because they couldn't escape. Because they DIDN'T have magic!" she emphasized, looking around at the crowd, "How many of you stood where you are in silence as people were murdered before your eyes, thought to have magic…yet didn't use it to escape!? They had NO magic! There was no proof, only delusions," she looked right at Uther, "Only paranoia and fear and hatred. You see enemies where there are none…"

"Those with magic are the greatest enemy!" Uther snarled at her.

She shook her head, "Those with magic gave you a son."

The crowd fell silent at that, looking at Uther in alarm, seeing the man's expression before he could cover it, startled, alarmed, pale, fearful…as though she'd revealed a secret he never wanted known, and then they saw…Arthur was smirking, like he knew.

"Seize her!" Uther snapped out of it, ordering the guards but they were staring at him in alarm.

"You are a hypocrite and a liar," Marayna continued, echoing Arthur's own words to his father, "You would use magic when it suits you, then execute those who gave you what you desire. You would put to death those who allow a sorcerer into their home unknowing, yet you allow yourself to live when YOU have harbored a sorcerer, unknowing, in your very castle. You see yourself above your own laws Uther Pendragon…your actions have thrown the magical realm out of balance…and it will fight back, it will regain what it has lost."

"And I will see it stopped!" he hissed, "Magic has no way to fight me!"

"It made US," Merlin told the man, backing up towards the now-out pyre, "An Archmage," he put a hand to his chest, "And Aya?" he shook his head, "You attempt to burn the High Priestess of the Old Religion."

"Even more of a reason to see her burn, guards!" he snapped at the men…not even caring that the wood was too wet to burn now, unless with magic, even the torches had gone out.

"You have truly forgotten all you once knew of the Old Religion," Marayna shook her head, "Or you would not have DARED put me on this pyre."

"And why's that?" he spat at her.

Marayna just looked to the side where dozens of people in green cloaks were now visible stepping through the trees, clearly coming to rescue their fellow magic-users. The crowd backed away as the guards tried to run at the Druids, seeing them as an easier target than the two before the pyre. But they underestimated the power of magic and went flying back, the Druids merely casting them aside and not attacking, till they reached the pyre and surrounded it, as though defending the ones on the pyre, Merlin having climbed on top to stand beside his sister.

They looked across the platform, to the two they loved, offering them the saddest, most sorrowful of expressions, before they joined hands and their eyes flashed…a wind picking up around them as they and the Druids that had come to protect them…disappeared before the eyes of all those present.

~8~

Uther strode through the darkest cells of the dungeon, heading for the only cell he knew that held a true magic-user in it. The day had been a disaster. The blasted sorceress and her sorcerer brother had escaped, the Druids had all but declared war on Camelot, his son and ward (daughter) were not speaking to him, and the people…lord, the people seemed near a revolt with all they'd learned about him in that blasted speech the girl had given.

He knew he should have cut out the tongues of those in his dungeons, but that would take away from the farce of a 'fair trial' wouldn't it?

"You," he sneered as he came to the cell he'd been looking for, "Get up."

The man within was bald, dressed in tattered orangey garb, sitting on the floor of the cell, pale, dirty, gaunt…weak.

Perfect.

The man swallowed hard and slowly pushed himself to his feet, using the wall for strength.

"You are a sorcerer," Uther sneered at him.

"I am," the man nodded, "You knew that when you had me hunted down."

"I would see you executed at dawn," he told the man, "But I will give you a choice in how you wish to die."

"Not the pyre," the man breathed, the pyre was the worst torture anyone with magic could imagine.

Uther gave him a look, "Then you shall assist me."

"In…in what?" the man frowned, NOT expecting that at all, knowing that the only assistance he could offer…was magic. And Uther was literally the king of hating all things magical.

Uther just smirked.

~8~

And the smirk continued as Uther sat at the table in the dining hall, eyeing his son as he sat to his right, his ward (daughter) as she sat to his left, and…the maidservant Guinevere as she sat beside his son. He glanced at the servants around the room, the guards, all going about their business as though it were a normal day, obeying his commands without a single hesitation, unlike earlier that day when they'd not listened to him near the pyre.

He had enjoyed a rather…pleasing day in the market, shocking quite a few peasants to see him there. He'd held a rousing discussion with Gaius, the man chuckling at a few jokes like old times. And then…invited his son to dine with him and Morgana and to bring Guinevere with him.

The sorcerer had done his job and done his job well.

"Arthur," he turned to his son, "Tell me…when do you two wish to be wed?"

Arthur smiled, reaching out to take Gwen's hand, "As soon as possible father."

"Excellent," Uther nodded.

They didn't remember a thing about either Merlin or Marayna…no one did.

Truly, this was just…perfect.

A/N: What? What! What?! Uther...what did you DO?! O.O He always struck me as the sort to use magic in the direst of circumstances }:)

I hope this chapter calmed at least a few of your concerns about Marayna. Morgana had a vision of a baby, yes. BUT! It could be Morgana's wish-fulfillment in a dream just as equally as it could be a prophecy. I won't say which it is though or even how it _might-possibly-perhaps-maybe _happen, but you've got your hope ;) You have no idea how hard it is to get reviews about how you've ruined your story and not be able to defend it because a tiny potential-twist like this is coming up and you don't want to give away too much lol :)

As for the siblings...well...imagine how they'll react to what Uther did }:) And just to answer quite a few reviews, yup, I picture Benedict to be Benedict Cumberbatch ;) He sort of fits in, Merlin/Marayna/Morgana/Mordred all have that dark hair-light eyes thing going too ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Lol, I didn't even realize the Narnia connection till about 2 hours after I'd posted the chapter :)

That would be interesting, a Narnia/Merlin Crossover :) Now I'm picturing Merlin battling Jadis :) Thank YOU for following me on tumblr too ;)


	19. Fugitives

Fugitives

The forest had never before seemed so quiet, so dangerous, as right now while Merlin and Marayna ran through it with a handful of Druids around them. They had transported themselves as far into the forest as they could go when the Druids had arrived to help them escape Uther's decision to execute Marayna. It had been…unlike anything they'd ever thought would happen. They had imagined so many different ways that their magic could be outed to the King or even Arthur and, when it had been, there was a distinct feeling that it was always the worst that they imagined it to be. In their more comedic thoughts, Uther would keel over upon learning his daughter-in-law was a witch and Arthur would just pass out and then wake up to say that he knew it all along, trying to wave off his earlier 'fainting.'

That was the lightest version of their discovery they could think of. The worst had…quite literally happened. They'd always known the most likely course of action for Uther would be to execute them. They'd hoped it would be via beheading or something quick like hanging…not a slow death upon the pyre. Even though they knew that, given Uther's rage, that would probably be his chosen method of seeing them dead, making them suffer as deeply as he could. They'd feared that Arthur would react somewhat like he had, though Arthur HAD been better than their worst imaginings. For Arthur they had pictured him dragging them before Uther and accusing them of sorcery himself, seeing to it that they were executed. He'd merely banished Marayna, but then fought as hard as he could go get her back.

Every image though, every nightmare had always had one aspect that changed what they were doing now.

They always saw themselves truly dying.

They always saw themselves to the end of their executions, standing there, accepting it and hoping that their death would change something. They hadn't ever imagined using their magic to escape, to prove a point, to run off with the Druids protecting them. It was odd, that they hadn't thought of doing that, that they hadn't pictured escaping and living and fighting back. But then again, Merlin had always been the more concerned of the two of them, the one who'd had to live with the fear of his magic being exposed more than his sister, she'd always had better control than he had. HE had been the one making the most imaginings, expressing the most fears. Marayna had always been the one reassuring him that if he was ever exposed she wouldn't hesitate to expose herself to get him free, to save him and see him safe.

So when Marayna had been the one exposed instead, it really should have been obvious to Merlin that she'd fight back, that she'd make a point, that she'd escape and live on. They'd spent too much of their lives in Camelot fighting to keep going, to keep it all safe, they were NOT about to give in now. Especially not when Merlin still had Morgana to think about and she had Arthur, and each other as well. They had to survive for each other and for Camelot.

But now…now they truly didn't know what to do. They'd never pictured really escaping, becoming fugitives, getting to the woods and fleeing. They really were at a loss of what they could possibly do to right this. Uther was on a war path, the fact that the princess of Camelot was a 'sorceress' was bound to have dire consequences, that HE, Uther Pendragon, ha allowed his son to wed a magic-user. They all knew that it would likely spark another Purge, and it would be all their fault.

They had so much to do still, so much they needed to see to to see that everything would be alright again. They had to work out some way to protect Camelot and Arthur with Uther unknowing. They doubted that they'd be able to get back into Camelot even if they disguised themselves. Uther would likely NEVER allow his son to have a personal man or maidservant again because of them. He'd probably call in more Witchfinders and ask them for tools to test every single person that entered the castle for illusions or other forms of magic. He'd start hunting down suspects again, anyone who had been their friend, been close to them, of course he'd NOT think to try his son for it.

Life would be hell not just for the people of Camelot, but the Druids as well, their mother…dear Lord, they needed to get her and Mordred out of Ealdor as quickly as possible. Uther would be sure to go after her, for of course SHE would know her daughter better than anyone and if any of the knights saw Mordred with her…they'd think her conspiring with magic-users. Uther would hunt her down across borders, unheeding of Morgana or Arthur if they tried to argue that it was Cenred's kingdom. He'd hunted their father down before, why not their mother as well?

The Druids, all other magic users in the forest and on the borders and in the villages would suffer. In helping them, in exposing their alliance with the two of them, the Druids had opened themselves out for an attack by Uther. He'd launch search parties into the forest, raids of knights, he'd stop at nothing till he burned and slaughtered every single Druid camp he could have his men find. And that made the two of them feel infinitely guilty, that the Druids had risked so much for two people who had just made life unbearable for magic-users in being exposed.

Marayna panted as she fell against a tree, Merlin reaching out to help her on. It was hard, to keep going, to keep walking. They had transported themselves deep into the forest, the Druids having had to resort to camping deeper than they normally would, near days away from Camelot, just in order to be safe, given how easily Arthur and his knights were always able to find them. But their camps were warded better as well, they prevented people from transporting right into them, as they didn't know how deeply Uther would find the need to hunt them in the future, whether he'd secretly give orders for his men to use magic to transport to them and slaughter them. It was something they were all too aware Uther would do if he could get away with it. He'd done it in the past, been able to look past magic, to use it for his own gain, then turn his back on it once more and likely slaughter the person who had used it.

But they couldn't appear right inside the camp, but only miles away from it, and had to continue the rest of the way on foot. They were hoping that their initial transport spell, that they'd disappeared without leaving footprints, all of the Druids who had come to help them being careful to erase their footprints as they made their way through the woods, would help kill the trail that Arthur or the knights might be ordered to use to find them. Without footprints and broken branches, just as Marayna had proven when she herself had disappeared, there was no trail to follow and no way for the knights or Arthur to find them. But that didn't mean that their trail now wouldn't be found. They could erase their footprints as well as any, but repairing every single broken branch would be near impossible.

They just had to hope they could make it to the Druid camp where they'd be safe for the night. Merlin glanced back over his shoulder as he helped his sister on, a sorrowful look in his face as he stared in the direction of where the castle had been, Morgana was still there but…so was Arthur. And they had to leave, he and Marayna, they had to escape the castle before Uther could turn his attention on his children. If he ever learned how close he and Morgana had been…he feared for her life as Uther would be forced to out her as his daughter if it meant not executing her for fraternizing with the enemy, much like his son. He wasn't sure what lengths Uther would go when he was that blindingly angry. And he feared for Morgana, and Gwen, and Gaius, and just…everyone.

He worried for his home, both of them, Ealdor and Camelot, and he prayed to the spirits of the Old Religion that they'd be protected from Uther's ire till they could work out some way to get the man to listen and back down. He just…he wanted to fix this mess, to make things better again, but they couldn't do that while on the run. So he turned, focusing on helping his sister follow the Druids back to their camp, they needed to come up with a plan.

~8~

"My King, my Queen," one of the Druids called, gesturing Merlin and Marayna on as they sat on a fallen log for a moment, just catching their breath.

They were actually starting to feel a bit disappointed that they had foregone their servant duties in Camelot to become a princess and a lord. One thing could be said for their duties, it kept them in shape. It wasn't that they were 'fat' like they kept calling Arthur from time to time just to mess with him, no, they were quite lean for their lives. It was just…they hadn't been doing as much manual labor as before, despite how restless it made them feel, they weren't allowed to do many chores like that. Merlin himself didn't understand how more nobles weren't as wide as they were tall given how much their servants did for them.

Both of them had tried to stay as active as possible though. They both refused servants themselves. They dressed themselves, prepared their own baths, started their own fires, cleaned their own rooms…well, Merlin didn't really have to clean his room, he was hardly in the small chambers Uther had had him moved to. But still, they did quite a lot themselves…something that the other nobles actually found unnatural that they were even able to do that much alone…till they remembered that the 'nobles' they were thinking of were actually really just servants in different garb. They would have done their own laundry too if the maids and men in the laundry room dared allow them to do that. No, the second they stepped into the room with a basket of laundry to tend to, it was ripped out of their hands and they found themselves back out in the hall with the door shut behind them before they could even blink.

They didn't much out the stables any more, which had been their most manually demanding task, but they both still tended to Arthur's armor, Merlin as it was his duty as 'companion' to make sure the armor was up to par and Marayna because it was her husband's armor and she wanted to do it. The first time she'd said that Merlin had laughed for an hour, all that complaining they had done as servants about that chore, and now his sister actually WANTED to do it. It did keep them strong, keep them lean, keep them active, but not to the point where they were able to trek and hike miles into a forest in the dark while also using their magic to cover their tracks.

It was taking a little more out of them when it was also taken into account that they'd been locked in the dungeons and refused food for a short while, that and Merlin wasn't able to find rest or an appetite with his sister trapped there. It was really…a telling of just how blinded and biased and insane Uther really was, how he selected who the laws and rules applied to. He had arrested Marayna, promised Gaius amnesty, and didn't even think twice about arresting the girl's brother after SHE had been declared a sorceress. How on Earth it had escaped Uther to think of that even when he'd had whole families burned in the past merely because one distant relative had magic…they didn't know. Perhaps the man hadn't noticed? Perhaps, in the back of his head, he still thought Merlin trustworthy? Perhaps he had even been just too focused on Marayna and her own betrayal to remember she had a brother? They really couldn't say why he hadn't targeted Merlin as well.

Though Marayna knew, if he ever realized it, that Uther would likely think it an affect of the 'enchantment' on him, that he'd trusted Merlin because he was Marayna's brother or some other rubbish.

"We're coming," Merlin called back, sighing as he turned to his sister to help her up.

"It's always so weird when they call us that," she mused, getting up.

"I know," he grimaced, "I keep thinking they think you're my wife or something."

She grimaced as well, "I really hope they don't."

They understood that most kings and queens were husband and wife, of course they did, Marayna was married to the future king of Camelot, they were WELL aware of that. But in the magical community, they had to keep reminding themselves, the title of king and queen were just that, titles. They were bestowed upon those most deserving, no matter who they were, brother and sister, husband and wife, random strangers who were already married to others, it was just who the magic selected that they recognized that person as their 'king' or 'queen.' They also knew that it wasn't really a king or queen that they were seen as. It was just…High Priestess and Archmage were a bit of a mouthful to say at times and the one-syllable, 'king/queen' was much easier to get to and call out.

"Are we nearly there?" Merlin asked, for the first time actually. He hadn't wanted to become an 'annoying child' that kept asking if they were there yet over and over every five minutes, so he'd held out as long as he possibly could to ask that.

The man who had called them over smiled, "Very nearly my Lord."

"Don't call me that," Merlin shook his head.

"Either of us," Marayna added, "My Lord, my lady, my King, Queen, what have you. Just…we're just Merlin and Rayna. Please."

The man gave a nod of the head, "Understood my La…Rayna," he quickly corrected when Marayna shot him a glare for it. He chuckled, "We are actually closer than you may realize."

They looked around, as though just noticing that they were the only ones left in the dark woods, them and the man before them, all the other Druids seemed to have disappeared. They frowned and looked back at the man who merely offered them a smile and stepped past the bush beside him. They glanced at each other a moment, before following him…losing their breath at the sight before them.

It was warm and glowing with a soft golden light of the campfires all throughout the camp. There were talismans hanging along lines and from the trees, catching the moonlight and starlight and firelight, glistening in the darkness like small stars on earth as far as the eye could see. There were tents pitched all over, and even some small hut-like things built up into the tallest trees, likely makeshift watchtowers in case the wards meant to alert them to danger failed. The entire atmosphere was warm and inviting, everything in browns and greens and blues, the colors of the earth around them, and the people…they froze as Merlin and Marayna appeared, staring at them in awe for a moment…

Before bursting out into applause.

The two glanced at each other, almost alarmed that they were being welcomed so warmly, given the tragedy they knew would be coming for most magic-users at Uther's hand because of them. But they hardly had time to think on that as the crowd of Druids rushed forward, every single one of them wanting the chance to meet and touch the High Priestess and Archmage.

Most never thought they'd have a chance in all their lives to meet two so magically powerful individuals. Most of the time, the Archmage and High Priestess were quite a distance away from one another, in an effort to protect them from assassins and other such enemies. Having the two of them together, while beneficial to each other as their magic would be double as strong and easy to help defend one another, it also put them both in the same place where others could target them at the same time. For that reason alone not many people ever thought they'd spy the two in their lifetimes.

Yet there they were, both the High Priestess and the Archmage, together, not just that…but siblings! Archmages were rare among their people, High Priestesses being a little more common, so to have both in one generation and being related to each other was truly the most wonderful omen that the magical community could hope to have and they were all so blessed to be able to host them for a time.

The entire camp knew, they were all aware of where the few men had disappeared to, what they'd gone to do. Emrys and Reesa were in danger and needed their help! How could they, or any other child of magic, just stand by and allow them to burn ! It was sacrilege! While Emrys and Reesa didn't seem aware of the true magnitude of what their titles meant, their duties to their people…they had been seeing to them far longer than they realized. It was their duty to protect the magical community, to punish those who were using magic for foul purposes, to support those with good magic, to make sure that their true purpose was seen by everyone, that everyone came to know their true nature in wanting to help and heal and protect. They had been protecting the mission of magic and working to change the laws in Camelot before they even realized their titles and what they meant.

It was the magical community's duty to ensure that their High Priestess and Archmage were safe as well.

And, come hell or high water, that was what they were going to do.

~8~

Marayna was sitting at the fire, a green cloak around her shoulders, more like a blanket than a cloak she knew as it had no hood. There was a small plate of food on her lap, a half-eaten sandwich of sorts of bread and cheese, with a few meager grapes beside it. She felt badly that she hadn't been able to eat more, she knew that food had to be hard to come by for the Druids, what with them being hunted as often as they were. She had tried to eat more of it, tried to eat all of it but…she just couldn't stomach it. Not when she couldn't help but look around at all the faces around her, all the children, and think about how they were all likely to die for having helped her and Merlin escape.

She had seen it before, she'd seen Arthur rush into a Druid camp, ready to kill them all, just because there was a chance, an unproven thought, that they had kidnapped Morgana. She didn't ever want to see that again and she knew that next time Uther sent out a party to find the Druids, he wouldn't be sending Arthur. He wouldn't be able to trust his son to remain unbiased about HER, about the ones who helped her escape. He'd made quite the spectacle of himself in shouting at his father to stop, in front of the whole of Camelot too. And because of that Uther wouldn't task him to lead the next search party. He'd command someone, one of his knights, to do so, one of the knights he knew to be ruthless in the quest to end magic. The entire camp, all those people, the men who'd helped her, the children who were so innocent, the women , especially the pregnant ones she could see with their bellies swelling…they'd all be cut down before they could utter a spell to disappear.

And it would be all hers and Merlin's fault.

"Reesa?" a voice called from beside her and she looked over to see one of the elders of the camp sit beside her, Aglain, she recalled Merlin mentioning to her from when he and Morgana had gone to see the Druids.

"Rayna, please," she offered him a small smile.

"Rayna," he nodded, "Something is troubling you."

She gave a slightly bitter laugh at that, "Something like being burned at the stake and then being hunted into the woods."

Aglain eyed her a moment, "You truly did not think that day possible?"

She sighed, "I knew it was possible," she murmured, "I knew it was likely, probably even a coming reality. I just…" she shook her head, "I always thought, for so long, that if I was ever caught, and I escaped…that it wouldn't matter," she glanced at him, "That I'd just be one 'sorceress' out of thousands and that nothing too dangerous would come from my fleeing, from my being caught. And now?" she shrugged, "Now I'm the princess of Camelot and my magic being exposed…it's going to get everyone killed."

"I do not believe that will happen," Aglain shook his head.

"Won't it?" she glanced at him, "I married Uther Pendragon's son. Me, a 'sorceress,' and Arthur loved me, Uther has to know that Arthur would change the laws for me the second he was able to. And he…Uther…he's going to start another Purge because a sorceress managed to get so close to not just him, but Arthur as well."

"You cannot be sure that is what will happen though."

"It will," she whispered, "Uther won't rest till I'm dead and whatever enchantment he thinks I cast on him is over. He'd never allow himself to rule as king with that hanging over him. He'll hunt me down and he'll slaughter anyone who helped me, you, your people…"

"YOUR people as well," Aglain reminded her.

"Yes, thank s for that," she rolled her eyes, "I know he'll attack you and every other Druid, every camp, every magic-user to draw me out. He won't stop until he has me. I just…all my life I thought I'd escape and no one would care and now that I have…I realize Uther will care more than anyone else. If he doesn't get me back, he'll hunt me down."

Aglain was silent, "We would not allow that to happen."

"Then you will be killed for it."

"Then that is a fate we shall have to face."

"Aglain," she turned to him, "That is NOT a fate I want you or anyone who has magic to face. I don't want your protection if it means your death because of it."

"It is not yours to refuse," he smiled at her, "Reesa…you are our High Priestess, as your brother is our Archmage. You are both…inordinately important to us, to our culture, to our way of life and to our freedom. We hold firm to the believe that, before the end of your lives we will see magic returned to our homes," he reached out and touched her shoulder, "You are not yet out of life."

"Is that all we are though?" she shook her head, "A means to an end? A way for magic to return and nothing more?"

Aglain gave her a long look, "Would you ever let it be that you stood there and did nothing to bring magic back?" he countered, making her smile, knowing that it wasn't just her destiny that was to bring magic back with her brother, but her choice. She wanted a world where people like her were free to live their lives without fear, as did Merlin. It was a choice she had made and a choice on the part of the Druids to help her achieve it.

This wasn't just her life on the line, if she and Merlin failed or succeeded, but the lives of everyone else that had magic. And that…that was worth fighting for and protecting. Because the Druids knew that, because of who she and Merlin were, their magic, their connections to Camelot, that they would be their best chance at having a true home again, and they wanted that for their children and would fight for it to their dying breath.

It wasn't just that she and Merlin were a means to an end, no more than the Druids were, because they were all fighting for the same thing, they were allies, and allies protected each other.

"Uther may order an attack on your camp," she warned.

"We have grown with this knowledge," Aglain shook his head, "It is not a new threat to us."

"He may be more zealous though."

"And it makes us pity him all the more," Aglain countered, "He might attack us yes, but we have prepared for it," he gestured around at the talismans, the watch towers, the different items she could see everywhere, ready to be packed up in a moment's notice, "It is nothing we have not dealt with in the past and nothing we cannot handle in the present and future."

"I just feel like it'll be my fault this time," she admitted, "Like it's all on me if any of you are harmed."

"Reesa," he smiled at her, "You have protected us in more ways than you know, you and your brother. And you offer us hope. For that alone, we will return the favor and protect you now. And," he added, seeing her look down again, "If you firmly believe that it would be your fault, then perhaps it means you will just have to stay with us longer, and protect us in return."

"Maybe learn a bit more magic in the process?" she started to smile as well.

"I doubt there is anything we could teach you or Emrys," he laughed.

"You'd be surprised," she started to laugh as well, "We sort of make it up as we go. And rather badly at that."

Her laughter died away when Merlin stuck his head out of a tent, a frantic look on his face, fear and worry in his eyes, "Aya…" he called, swallowing hard, "You need to see this. We have a problem."

~8~

_Moments Ago_…

Merlin paced outside one of the tents in the Druid camp, glancing at the flap that would lead inside it from time to time, trying to work up the courage to enter. A few Druids wandering around were eyeing him with a mixture of curiosity and amusement at seeing the great Emrys, the Archmage, the Dragonlord…so hesitant to enter a simple tent. It was a tent he'd been pointed to by Aglain before the man had gone to sit by his sister and he was really just…he didn't know what to do. Yes, the Archmage was like a king to these people but…HE didn't feel like a king. Well, not when he wasn't around Morgana at least. Marayna had Arthur to help her into the role of princess, along with Morgana, she was a little more used to this but he wasn't. He didn't know how to command attention or how to make himself seem in control or command, he didn't like giving commands.

But he just…he really needed to know the answer to something and the ones who could give it to him were just inside that tent.

It was the tent of the Seers for the camp. They weren't quite as powerful as Morgana, only one was a natural seer, the others (like Morgause) trained in the art to be able to scry. He just…he wanted to know how they'd know what was happening with Marayna in order to come and save her if they were warded against scrying.

He took a breath, he needed to know, because if they could watch Marayna then they could take a peek into Morgana and let him know If she was ok, if Uther was targeting her or if she was in the dungeon just…how she was. So he stepped up to the tent, about to knock on one of the small poles holding it up to try and be polite when…

"You may enter Lord Emrys," a voice called from within, a hint of amusement in it.

He blinked before realizing…this was the _Seer's_ tent…if anyone would know he was standing out there…it would be the ones in the tent. He took another breath and slowly entered, offering the women inside a smile, we the women and man and boy inside. There was an older woman, one of the Seers, sitting with two middle aged women beside her, a young girl at her feet, with a man standing to the side, a younger man, around his age, with a small boy, a year or two younger than the girl at his side.

"Um…hi," he shifted a little, uncomfortable, as he often was in front of others he respected, and he respected all people with magic in them.

"Hello Lord Emrys," the two small children greeted.

"Please do not be nervous My Lord," the older woman gave him a warm smile.

"Please don't call me My Lord and I won't be," he joked lightly.

"As you wish," the woman chuckled, "You have come to see us for a reason yes?"

"Um, yes," he nodded, realizing it would be best to get right to it, "You knew Aya, er…Reesa, needed help," he began, "You were able to see her in visions?"

"We scry for you and your sister often," the young man nodded, "To ensure you are safe and well, to be there should you require assistance."

"How?" Merlin asked, "We carry trinkets that help protect us from that."

"Yes," the woman nodded, "But it still allows us to see what is going on around you," she reminded him, "We can still hear what is being said."

"Right," he realized, "You saw Uther condemning her then?"

"We did," the woman bowed her head solemnly, "And we hastened to help."

"Um…could you…would you be willing to…" he started to stutter, not sure how to ask without it seeming too much like a command.

"You wish us to scry for the Lady Morgana?" the woman guessed and he blushed, nodding, "It would be our honor," she bowed her head again.

The two women stood and moved to the side of the room where a small barrel was sitting, one opening the lid and scooping out water into a metal bowl the other held, before they returned it to the woman's side.

"You scry with water?" Merlin asked, before his eyes widened, "Not that…not that there's anything wrong with scrying with water. Gana used to scry with water. I mean, she still DOES at times and…"

But the Seers and Scryers just chuckled, "It is fine Emrys," the older woman told him, "We scry with what we can and what we are able to handle. Not many are as practiced or powerful as the Lady Morgana," she offered him a smile for that as well, the man smiling at the mention of how talented his betrothed was.

The woman took a breath and looked down into the bowl, watching it intently, clearing her mind of everything but the Lady Morgana, wherever she might be…only for her eyes to widen, "Lord Emrys…" she glanced up at him, "I can see her."

Merlin blinked, "But…but that should be impossible. She's warded against that…"

The woman looked back down, "I can see her, the prince…and…" she blinked, "A young woman, she had dark skin…"

"Gwen?" Merlin guessed.

"I have heard that name spoken when in your presence, yes," she nodded, looking up at him, "I believe the protective tokens may have been discovered and destroyed."

Merlin swallowed hard at that, "I wouldn't put it past Uther to do that after learning about us," he sighed, "He'd search all their quarters and themselves for any sign of magic…" he glanced at the woman again, "Can you see what's happening? Is she ok?"

The woman looked back down, watching the scene intently, her expression growing more and more grave the longer she watched before she blinked and looked at him, "Emrys…"

"What is it?" his heart stopped.

"I do not think you will believe me if you do not see it yourself."

"Can you show it to me?" he frowned, unaware that visions in water and other objects could be shared.

"Yes, come look," she held up the bowl of water, closing her eyes so she could allow him to see it, forcing the vision visible in the waters for any who wish to look to see.

Merlin stepped closer, leaning over and staring in to the waters, squinting as he was able to make out a vague seen…

Morgana, Arthur, and _Gwen_ were sitting at a dining table _with Uther_. He wouldn't have thought it odd if not for Gwen sitting with them all, not that he had an issue with it, it was just…Uther would have a fit about a servant sitting there. For a day or so after Marayna had been married to Arthur, Uther refused to let Merlin sit with them till he'd been elevated to a 'Lord' so for Gwen to be there…something was off.

"I can't hear them," he whispered, seeing their lips moving.

"You must touch the bowl," the young girl told him quietly so as not to break the woman's concentration.

He nodded and reached out, cupping his hands over the woman's and leaning in again…hearing a whisper in his mind of what was being said…

He pulled his hands away and stumbled back, staring at the bowl in horror. That...that couldn't be! The vision...it couldn't be real could it? But how? How could it be happening? It made no sense!

Uther had been discussing Arthur's upcoming marriage to Gwen! And Arthur and Gwen were agreeing, speaking of it easily, Morgana even offering her opinion though she appeared more quiet than normal…

He just…he didn't understand. None of them even mentioned Arthur already being married to Marayna. Morgana didn't even seem concerned about his escape. It was like…it was like they didn't even realize something had happened…

He shook his head and ran for the tent, sticking his head out and looking for his sister, "Aya…" he shouted to her, "You need to see this. We have a problem."

Something was terribly wrong.

A/N: Little something to prolong the 'torture' ;) We'll see a little more of what's happening come to light tomorrow but I can say this won't be a quick fix }:)

I'm glad you all enjoyed the twist }:)

Some notes on reviews...

All I can say about Uther...he should really not mess with magic. It has a way of coming back to bite him in the end, doesn't it? }:)

Morgause isn't impersonating Uther, nope, that's all his own paranoia :) I can say though, that there will be one person in this story that secretly has magic the entire time...but I won't say what till very near the end of the actual series }:)

I can say there's probably only about...three or four really BIG heartbreaking moments to come :) I hope your nurse was ok! :)

Nope, not acting. But as for how/if it'll be reversed, we'll have to wait and see }:)

Oh Uther's definitely the most illogical man ever, I agree :) I especially love how he kills anyone who helps a sorcerer even unknowingly...but yet HE isn't on the chopping block when he helps them too (like with Sophia) :/

I can say Morgana and Gaius are affected, their protection is more for individual attacks and not ones that span an entire kingdom, those (I think) would be far more powerful :(

I can say the knights will bond with Marayna and Merlin very much yup :) It might not be up to the level of Angel and Jack though, mostly because there's so many of them lol :) We'll definitely see them being protective at some points, but I can't say what brings it on ;) Oh there's a twist coming for Gwen and Lancelot, we'll have to see what it is though :) I don't really know how I came up with her name. I think I just tried to find a medievalish name and just tweaked it to be a bit more magical? If that makes sense lol. For the TLs, I tried to base them on little references for them, Kata likes Cats, Luna means Moon (to go with the Earth), and Nella has to do with my grandmother that I dedicated the series to :) I can say we'll see animals at one point, but not in the way you expect. I think authors have to be careful the sorts of pets they add though, giving one that's too unique can turn an OC into a Mary Sue, I've read when trying to find out what a MS is to avoid it. Even in a magical world like with Merlin, giving them a pet no one else really has can be harming to a story (just my opinion). And no worries at all about the length, I'm always touched by any length review :) I update every day, twice on days where one series ends and another starts. But I'll also be updating twice a day on the 17th to make up for a week I missed out on updating for ;)


	20. The Sorcerer's Shadow

The Sorcerer's Shadow

Morgana strolled through the courtyard with Arthur and Gwen as they headed for the training grounds.

"I don't see the point in this tournament," she murmured, feeling a stinging feeling in her gut about it all, feeling like…like someone wouldn't like it, like someone would take issue with it and so should she, "A contest open to all comers worth the price of a hundred gold coins. The sort of men who turn up…"

"It's tradition Morgana," Arthur rolled his eyes, "The tournament's been held every ten years for centuries. Nothing to worry about. And, it's meant to serve as a ceremonial wedding tournament as well," he glanced at Gwen as she smiled.

Morgana paused, glancing at a contestant who chopped a training dummy's head off with an axe, "Using any weapons they like…" she shook her head.

"You've never had a problem with it before," he commented, recalling the two of this particular tournament she'd seen prior.

Morgana was silent, that was true, she never had. In fact, she'd been very eager to watch the tournaments of the like, she even knew how to use a sword herself, but…recently…she'd found herself disliking the feel of it in her hands. She'd found herself not very excited to see people attacking each other, even less when they were fighting to injure each other. She'd actually found herself spending more time with Gaius, learning about healing and being a physician than she knew was normal…like…something was just drawing her to him and she noticed that quite a few of the things he was teaching her were familiar to her as well.

One thing that was alarming her more than anything was that her nightmares had returned.

It was funny, they'd disappeared for a quite while but come back only a week or two ago. Perhaps she'd spent more time with Gaius as a way to try and see if she might devise some remedy herself? His draughts hadn't been helping her no matter how powerful they were.

She kept having dreams but…unlike the ones she was accustomed to having, where terrible things happened to Arthur, she dreamed of another boy. There was a man, with black hair and the bluest eyes, the most adorable ears and the most charming of smiles. She dreamed of him often, every night. Everything started off fine, it was of her and him, being sweet, her in his arms, her…happy, just…SO happy, but it always changed. The boy would end up poisoned or stabbed by serkets or facing down Dragons or thrown in jail and just so many horrible things that broke her heart.

And that man in her dreams, she had the strangest feeling like she'd actually met him once, that he was truly real.

But she was sure she hadn't, she'd have remembered meeting a man like that.

She shifted as she looked around, unable to help but feel like there was something more to it, to her dreams, to how uncomfortable she felt, how…different she was. She tried, so hard, to be accepting of Arthur and Gwen's relationship, but something inside her kept screaming that it was wrong, but…Gwen was her friend and she seemed relatively happy…even if she did catch her former-maidservant staring out the windows at the gates of Camelot at times with the saddest of expressions on her face, like she was waiting for someone…so she kept quiet.

"I have to agree Arthur," Gwen spoke up, "The Knights Code…"

"Counts for nothing," he cut in gently, "The only rule is...there are no rules."

Morgana frowned, watching as one of the more burly and brutish looking men throw a hatchet at a target, narrowly missing one of the servants, "Nothing to worry about, indeed," she murmured.

She shifted as Arthur and Gwen carried on, glancing over at a young boy who was glaring at the brutish man. She eyed him for a moment longer just…feel like there was something off about that boy. She shook her head though and turned to continue on after Gwen and Arthur, she just…she'd found herself keeping them more in her sight than normal, especially Arthur. It was like she was expecting something, anything, to happen to him and just…needed to be ready to help.

~8~

Gwen sat stiffly beside Arthur in the Dining Hall later that day. She'd offered to polish Arthur's armor earlier, but he'd refused, saying it was not the duty of the future princess to tend to chores like a servant. She'd been a bit disappointed, she was still technically a servant even if people were mostly ignoring that fact due to Uther's announcement of her upcoming marriage to Arthur. She didn't like not having things to do after so long and…she just…she needed something to keep her mind off her thoughts. It felt like everything was happening so suddenly. Hers and Arthur's love had taken her by surprise and, sometimes, she felt like it was almost too good to be true, to be real.

And now she was back in the dining hall, taking a meal with Uther and Arthur and Morgana as she had for the last week or two. She wasn't used to it, to Uther being there or being so cordial to her. She would have thought he'd be the first person to object to her union with Arthur but he'd given his blessing, quickly and readily too. He almost seemed…eager to have Arthur marry her. She would have thought it odd if Arthur were not in such good spirits about it.

Though, to be honest, sometimes she caught him in the stables, tending to his old horse Bartok and looking rather lost in thought. Almost…heartbroken. But when she'd speak up he'd just snap out of it and smile at her. And, there were times when she and Morgana would be in the market, looking at fabrics (for some reason Arthur seemed to insist on going with them shopping of all things…actually, the three of them seemed to stick together more than she could ever remember them doing) and he'd shake his head when she'd show him blues or reds…which made it rather hard to make a new dress when the colors of Camelot were red. She'd settled with golds and lavenders though.

It was really…quite awkward for her to be sitting there. She'd tended to Morgana for so long she knew the protocols but to be around the royals and be expected to act like them was odd.

Morgana looked around at the table, everything was silent, it was…always silent actually. More so than usual, it wasn't a comfortable silence either, it was strained. Uther seemed pleased as always. It was disturbing to her to see the king smiling so much. Uther had always been rather severe and solemn and stoic and yet he'd been grinning and smirking at every meal so far. It made her especially uncomfortable to see that smirk for some reason.

"Remind me," Morgana spoke up, scrambling to find something, anything, to say to break the silence, "How many times you've won this tournament, Uther."

"Three," he smiled, pleased with it.

"That's quite an achievement, my Lord," Gwen tried to offer.

"Indeed," Arthur nodded, it was also a record he now had to live up to.

"I remember your last victory," Morgana smiled in thought, she'd been a teenager then, only a little girl the time before that, "You were quite a force in the arena."

"Will you be competing this year, my Lord?" Gwen glanced at him.

"I believe I shall," he nodded.

Morgana blinked and frowned at that, "Are you certain that's wise? You said last time that you were too old to take the field again."

"I have never felt better," Uther shook his head at that, "Even more so now that I know the future of Camelot is secure and in the best and most loyal of hands," he nodded at Gwen and Arthur, raising his glass to them.

Arthur nodded, lifting his goblet as well but…he felt an odd pit in his stomach at how his father had phrased that. His mention of loyalty was…it felt like there was more to it and it upset him for some reason. It sounded almost like he was trying to warn the future princess/queen not to betray the crown…but…that wouldn't happen. He would never marry a woman who had ill intent for Camelot, he knew that. They would have had to prove their loyalty and care and love for his kingdom and his people before he could truly give his heart to them.

"I'll still prove a match for any man yet," Uther took a sip of his wine.

"Father…I don't want you getting hurt," Arthur turned to him as Uther chuckled at the notion.

"Do you think you could still win the crown?" Morgana frowned, attempting to talk him out of it as well. There was this…odd need to protect Uther even if it was also coupled by flashes of anger at the man. It was like…he was important to her but at the same time he'd done something that just…upset her terribly.

There would be times she looked at him, mostly when he was smirking, and she'd feel this…anger and frustration and this…terrible hurt. She'd felt it once before, when she'd been a small girl. Just after her father had died, she'd been so upset, she'd clung to a small scrap of his knight outfit with his crest on it, she hadn't let go of it. Uther had been in the cups a bit too much one night a year after it happened, on the anniversary, he'd gotten frustrated when he'd seen the crest and grabbed it, thrown it in a fire. She'd never been more devastated and angry than at that moment.

He'd apologized after, had the seamstresses make an exact replica of the crest onto a pillow for her to keep with her always. But for ages after that she hadn't been able to look at him without feeling that sting and hurt and anger. She felt it now, like he'd taken something from her or caused for something to be lost and she just…it upset her more that she didn't know what it was.

"The kingdom needs him to rule, not to fight," Arthur cut in.

"Do you think I can't do both?" Uther looked at him, seeming more amused than upset.

"Well, you're not as young as you used to be," Morgana tried to diffuse the situation, "Besides, I need someone to keep me company in the stands."

"I believe Guinevere would be a fitting companion," Uther countered.

"Yes, of course she'll be," Morgana nodded, sending a smile to Gwen, trying to hide that she'd completely forgotten Gwen would be with her in the royal box.

"If you'll excuse me," Arthur stood, "I need to prepare for the tournament," he gave his father a bow and headed out of the room.

Morgana frowned, eyeing Gwen as she ate the last of her meal, usually when Arthur left a room he'd kiss her but…actually, now that she thought about it she'd never actually seen Arthur kiss Gwen, ever, anywhere, not on her hand or lips or cheek or head…so…why did she think it odd that he not kiss her now?

"I think it would be quite the spectacle if you competed, Majesty," Gwen offered Uther a smile, "The people would loved to see it."

"But still," Morgana cut in, "Arthur's right. You shouldn't be expected to do everything."

Uther just sat back in his chair, smirking and seeming far too pleased with their concern for him.

~8~

Morgana swallowed hard as she stood before the crowd in the arena, at the head of the royal box where she and Gwen were sitting. She…was not looking forward to this, to giving this announcement, because it meant that Uther wasn't, it meant he was competing.

"It is my pleasure to welcome you all to Camelot," she called, quieting the crowds, "This is a contest like no other. It is open to all comers. Including out reigning champion, the King. There are no rules, no weapons are banned. The last man standing takes the prize. Let the tournament begin."

She half-fell back onto her chair beside Gwen, watching as competitor after competitor came up and fought, blow after blow being dealt, injury after injury being made. And just…she didn't want to see this. More than once Gwen had asked her if she was alright, commenting how she'd gone a bit pale, remarked that she was flinching more and more with each strike of the weapons. She truly didn't know what was wrong with her. She'd sat through many a tournament before, she'd fought in small skirmishes herself but…this…it wasn't sitting right with her.

It felt like now it was just going against everything inside her, everything she was, seeing people injuring each other.

She found comfort in Gaius, in watching him tend to wounds and heal the sick, she found solace in that and peace and a purpose. She liked the thought of helping people and seeing these people fighting so hard to hurt each other…it was making her uncomfortable now.

But she nearly jerked up in her seat when she saw a young competitor, likely the youngest one, the one she'd noticed before while the others were preparing, get hurt and yet win. But that wasn't what made her start, it was the fact that she could have sworn she'd seen his eyes flash gold, a sure sign of magic, just before he won!

Morgana looked around, but the crowd was cheering the young man on, it seemed like none of them had noticed.

"Did you see that?" she turned to Gwen, but the woman was clapping and cheering with the crowd.

"That was quite the victory," Gwen smiled, "I thought they nearly had him at the end."

Morgana let out a breath and blinked, before she turned back to watch the young man heading out to the small tent he'd set up.

"Gwen," she turned to her again, "Would you be alright staying here a moment, alone?" she asked, "I just…all the excitement is getting to me and I'd like a small walk about to catch my breath."

"Of course My Lady," Gwen nodded, still not used to nearly being Morgana's equal.

"Thank you," Morgana reached out to touch Gwen's hand, squeezing it as she stood and moved out of the box. She looked around, making sure no one was watching her too closely as she made her way around the arena and towards the young man's tent.

"That was quite the victory," she commented when she finally spotted him.

The man spun around, nearly sputtering as he bowed his head to her, recognizing her from opening the ceremony, "Thank you, my Lady."

"Morgana, please," she smiled at him, offering her his hand.

"I am Gilli," he quickly kissed it, her eyes flashing to a ring on his finger with odd runes on it.

She was quiet a moment before she spoke again, "Your wound," she eyed the deep cut on his shoulder, "If you need tending, our physician is the best in the realm."

"That's alright," the boy shook his head, "It's just a nick, I'm fine."

Morgana watched as he stepped out of the tent to walk among the other competitors, seeing some of them offering him congratulations and compliments for his style and determination.

She swallowed hard, not quite sure what to do. The boy, she KNEW he was doing magic it was like…a second sense about him, almost like so many people had attacked Camelot with magic that she just couldn't help but almost…sense it. If that made any sense at all. And that ring? She had seen some old tomes, some old amulets Uther kept locked away in the vaults that bore the same sort of symbols. She knew enough to know they were signs of the Old Religion, like a charm or a channel or an enhancer or something.

She wasn't sure whether she should commend Gilli for being so brave as to use magic in front of the people, or try her best to usher him out of Camelot before he was caught. She knew that she should report him to Uther, magic was against the law, magic was evil and…no.

She winced, something in her heart tugging at the thought that all magic was evil. She looked up again, watching Gilli smile and laugh, she didn't…think he was evil. He didn't seem like some of the crazed sorcerers who had attacked before and there was just something in her that told her that she should not cry sorcery. That she should…try to help him escape, try to get him not to sue it so obviously, try to…to convince him to use it for good.

She didn't know why she just knew…if Uther found out, he'd have the boy killed, and he was just a boy, he was only a few years older than that Druid boy she'd helped once.

~8~

Morgana paced outside the physician's quarters, debating whether she should go in or not. She'd been told by the guards earlier that Gaius had gone to the armory with Uther to investigate something and gone right there to speak to him. Only to hide outside the door, lingering there and listening to them speak about a strange scorch mark that seemed to have been created by magic, according to Uther, though Gaius insisted there was no sign of sorcery at play.

She'd hidden as they'd left and waited a short while before heading to the physician's chambers again, truly needing to speak to Gaius about what she'd seen from Gilli. It was plaguing her all day, ever since his match. She'd found herself watching the boy intently when he competed, watching for signs of magic but hadn't seen any since. Still, she KNEW what she'd seen and she just…she needed someone to talk to.

She knew that Gaius had some sort of history with magic, she knew that he had practiced magic at one point ages ago. He was the one who also tended to her when she had nightmares and whenever magical creatures or users attacked the castle. He would be the best person to speak to about what she should do about Gilli. She…she trusted him to help her or, at the very least, not to say anything about Gilli or her knowledge of what he was doing.

"Gaius?" she knocked on the door, steeling herself as she stepped in.

"My Lady," Gaius smiled at her as she entered, "To what do I owe this pleasure? Not another nightmare I hope," he looked at her comfortingly.

"No," she smiled at him for that, "I um…I was passing the armory earlier," she began, seeing his expression start to grow serious, "I heard you and Uther speaking about the…the scorch marks and magic?"

"It was merely a misunderstanding with the guards," Gaius tried to smile again.

"Gaius," she gave him a pointed look, "There's…a competitor, that I noticed, Gilli. I…I saw his eyes flash gold during his match and he had a ring on that bore marks of the Old Religion on it."

"Did he?" Gaius frowned, "A ring?"

"I mean no harm to come to him," Morgana added quickly, "I…he was so young Gaius I don't believe he understands what he is doing and…I mean to help him, to warn him to stop, perhaps convince him to withdraw from the competition but…I need to know, do you think he could have caused those scorch marks?"

She needed to know if he'd used magic again. If he used it too much others would be sure to notice as well.

"It…is possible," Gaius admitted, a bit…startled that Morgana had noticed the use of magic and that she, the King's Ward, was trying to help the boy escape, "Judging by the scorch marks and the odor…it reminded me of an old healing spell. It's crude, but it works. You heat the skin to coagulate the blood and it…"

"Cauterizes the wound?" Morgana guessed and Gaius nodded, "He had a terrible wound on his shoulder and when I offered to have you look at it, he refused," she looked down and then back to Gaius, "I must speak with him. Thank you Gaius," she moved to leave the room but hesitated, "You…you won't say anything, will you?"

Gaius smiled, "As long as Gilli harms no one, I shall not speak a word."

Morgana smiled, "Thank you."

Gaius nodded, watching her go, feeling a sort of…weight lift off him at how Morgana was trying to help someone. He knew about her dreams, her visions, he knew they were visions of the future, too close to magic for him to ever feel comfortable telling her about them, for fear of Uther, but…to see her trying to help another magic-user. It gave him hope. If Uther's ward could look past his teachings of magic, perhaps there was hope for Arthur as well.

~8~

Morgana hesitated before the door she'd been told was Gilli's room in the Rising Sun inn just a little ways into the Lower Towns. She'd had to be careful, wearing a cloak, making sure no one saw her. If any saw the ward of the King enter a young man's room even in broad daylight, well…she could only imagine the rumors that would spread and that was not something she wanted. She'd asked a small boy, Edmund, he'd said his name was, one of the blacksmith's apprentices if he would go ask the innkeeper for Gilli's room, claiming he was asking the young man if he needed any weapons tended to on request of his master, and had him report back with the number.

She took a breath, wondering why she was so hesitant lately, she was just…very out of sorts and not her usual confident self. She felt distracted and lost and…sad, very sad and she didn't know why. But she shook her head and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" she heard the boy call from within.

She didn't answer back, knowing her voice could easily be heard down the hall and through any of the doors by their occupants. So she entered the room, "Hello Gilli," she smiled as she stepped in.

"My Lady!" he nearly jumped out of his skin as he leapt to his feet from where he was tending his sword to bow to her.

She gave him a small wave, telling him he didn't have to do that, "I've come to see how your shoulder is doing."

"It's a lot better," he offered her a tense smile.

"You know, I've been taking a few lessons from Gaius," she told him, "And being around Arthur and Uther and my father, I'm no stranger to wounds. Would you mind if I took a look for myself?"

"There's nothing to see," he shook his head.

She nodded slowly at that, at how he was trying to keep her from spotting the likely-smooth skin or at least healed skin, "I wanted to commend you as well on how you fought before. You have quite the warrior's spirit."

"I do?" he smiled at that.

She nodded, "I have seen many different battles, I've seen Arthur beat a man twice his size once before. But…he's had a lifetime of training with the most skilled warriors in the kingdom," she looked at him intently, "Not many people have heard of you Gilli, they know not your skills, they…may think you're using magic," she saw him stiffen at that and tried to offer him a reassuring smile, "I won't say a word…"

"I'm not using magic," he cut in.

She sighed, "Your ring," she nodded at it as he immediately grabbed it and held it close to him, "I saw the marks of the Old Religion on it. I know what they mean. I don't believe Uther's teachings that all magic is evil though," she told him, "I don't believe YOU are evil," she watched as Gilli blinked and stared at her for that, seeming shocked that she, of all people, thought that.

She honestly didn't know why she did. She didn't even know why she was so adamant about protecting and helping this boy. She just…she felt like it had something to do with his magic, just because he HAD magic that she HAD to help him. She felt like…like to nothing would disappoint someone, though she knew not who.

"Will you tell me where you got it?" she asked, "I must know incase other competitors have gone to the same supplier or…"

"My father," Gilli shook his head, telling her that there wasn't some sort of conspiracy going, "He left it to me."

"He had magic as well?"

"He was a gifted man," Gilli frowned, "But he would not touch magic. He vowed never to use it. He feared it, wouldn't even let me talk about it."

"I'm sorry," she breathed, feeling something…empathetic with this boy, like she could relate but…that was impossible, she didn't have magic and she would never have had to speak to Uther about it, so…why did she feel like she'd been in that spot, where she'd had magic yet had no one to speak to? No, that was wrong, she…she felt like SHE wanted to be the one he could talk to about it, because…because there HAD been someone there for her, or would have been? She didn't know, she didn't understand why her thoughts and feelings were so jumbled, "That must have been hard."

"He was scared Uther would find out," Gilli shrugged, "That the King would discover he was a sorcerer. Even when he was attacked, he had three men on him, he_ still_ wouldn't use this," he held up the ring.

"He died because of that, didn't he?" she guessed.

Gilli nodded, before swearing, "I'm not going to be like him."

She had to smile at that a bit, "You're proud of who you are and of what you can do. That takes…courage to do in Camelot."

There it was again, a brief flash of familiarity, not…not of HER though but…more like she knew someone else that was the same, but who?

"Why are you trying to help me?" Gilli looked at her, confused by how she seemed pleased that he'd accepted his magic, he'd not have thought the King's ward would be like that.

"You remind me of someone I know," she said instantly.

"Who?" he blinked, startled that she knew other magic-users apparently.

Morgana hesitated, frowning, "I can't say."

It wasn't that, it wasn't that she couldn't say it was because…she didn't know. She didn't know why she'd said that.

She shook her head, "Gilli…if you're going to use magic, you cannot fight in the tournament. You must withdraw."

"It's an open competition," he argued, "You're supposed to be able to use whatever skills you have."

"Fighting skills," she countered, "With a sword and a blade and a weapon, not with magic. Magic is not meant to be used to harm…"

"But it CAN be a weapon," Gilli pointed at her, "And if it can be used to fight, why not use it?"

"Because Uther has outlawed it. He will KILL you if he sees you."

"Without magic, I'm a nobody," Gilli told her, his voice quiet and burdened, "People think they can kick dirt in my face."

Morgana felt her heart thump painfully in her chest at that, feeling like she knew someone like that, someone who'd had to hide their magic, who'd grown up in the shadows, hiding all their life…someone that others took advantage of and treated like a servant…

"I don't believe you're a nobody," she told him, her voice cracking with emotion, "You are…special."

"Then let me prove that," he begged.

"Gilli, please," she pleaded, "You will be caught using magic, everyone always is, even if they don't even HAVE magic," she warned him, "Uther will execute you and…there's been too much death already. Magic-users have lost too many people to his reign of terror, do NOT join their numbers."

Gilli just looked at her for a long while before he shook his head and headed for the door, "I have to prepare for the tournament," and left her alone.

~8~

Morgana stood in the door of the armory, looking at Gilli as he sat there dejectedly, seeming even scared.

The day had been…quite a mess, for all parties. Both Uther and Arthur had won their challenges which meant, tomorrow, they were going go face each other as competitors. She'd tried to be supportive of the both of them but her mind was elsewhere. It was on Gilli. She didn't know what kept pulling her back to him. She felt nothing for the boy short of a desire to help him and protect him, like…it was her duty to ensure he'd be safe, that his magic not be discovered.

And yet it nearly had been.

She'd been watching his match with a rather brutish man, two of them who seemed like a partnership. He'd been faring well till the second of the team had grabbed him from behind. But he'd escaped…using magic. She'd seen it, his eyes flashing as he threw one of the men away from him and…killed him.

She'd seen it, the devastation on his face when he'd realized what he'd done in the heat of the moment and gone to find him. She felt like…killing someone, even though she'd seen many a man die before her eyes in other such tournaments, Gilli…and his magic…it was just all the more worse. She'd tried to tell him earlier that she didn't think he was evil, she felt like…so many people with magic turned down that path because they thought others felt they were evil so they must be. She didn't want that for Gilli, she wanted him to not go down that path and for him to have killed someone and have had his magic aid in that…she needed to make sure he would be ok, that he'd stop and not continue on.

"I've never killed a man before," he whispered, not even needing to look up to know she was there, "I just wanted to feel...what it was like to be...respected. But this?" he shook his head, "I'm not a killer. This isn't me."

She couldn't even smile at that, at how he'd realized who he was beyond his magic, "Gilli…you need to withdraw."

He nodded, "I'm going to," he looked up at her, seeing the woman, the first person ever really, to tell him he wasn't evil for having magic…and look at how he had repaid her, by using his magic to help kill someone, "I'm sorry."

"I know you are," she whispered.

His eyes filled with tears as he started to cry, "I'm so sorry."

Morgana's heart broke at that and she quickly made her way to his side, hugging him tightly, trying to comfort him, knowing how scared he must be feeling to have done what he had and had magic to help.

~8~

Morgana smiled slightly as she sat in the box with Gwen, watching as Arthur and Uther began to fight for their challenge. This was probably the only fight she knew that neither competitor would seriously injure the other. Which was proven true when, as Arthur and Uther fought, she could see it was more for show. Uther was fighting hard, panting and huffing and straining, Arthur was in top form but always keeping just a little ahead of, yet equal to, his father. When Uther would stagger, Arthur would stop, when the king pulled off his helmet and threw away his shield, Arthur did too, and, when Uther went to swing at Arthur with the last of his strength…the prince allowed him to disarm him and fell to the ground.

The crowd went wild and Morgana knew none of them but she had noticed that Arthur had let the king win. She only knew because she had seen them both fighting so often that she knew how they were.

But her smile quickly fell when she spotted Gilli step back into the arena after the royals had left. What was worse…she could see a determined look in his eyes, a hardness in his expression and a tension in his movements that told her he was more determined than ever to compete and win. And it was made all the worse when he didn't even try to hide his use of magic in securing his next victory, injuring his opponent so much that he had to be carried off the field. Luckily, she was the only one who noticed, though she could see Gaius tensing as well as he watched. Ever since she'd mentioned the ring the boy had, she'd seen him keeping a closer eye on Gilli as he fought.

He'd seen it too.

Morgana had to wait till a break in the tournament before she could make her way down to Gaius's side, making it seem like she was inquiring about Gilli's opponent that he was tending to, "You saw him?" she whispered to him.

He nodded, stepping away from the man as he fell unconscious to speak with her more safely, "We'll have to warn the King."

"No!" Morgana reached out and grabbed his arm lightly, "Don't."

"Why are you protecting him?" Gaius looked at her, he was curious to know that. He understood her defending him the first match, he'd been more cautious, more trying to prove himself than what he seemed now. Now…Uther's life was truly in danger if he faced this young boy.

"Uther will have him executed," she said, as though that were all the explanation needed, as though she weren't even recalling all the other executions that had come before that she hadn't been able to stop. But this…this was different, she felt different, she felt like she HAD to stop them now, that she had to help the magic-users escape…it was her duty.

"Gilli is using magic for his own gain," Gaius shook his head, "It's corrupting him, poisoning him."

"I don't believe that," Morgana shook her head, "I don't believe magic is what turns a person to the path of darkness," she didn't know where this was coming from, but she felt it in her heart that it was true, it wasn't the magic, magic was a tool, it was the person themselves, their strength, their heart, their lives that made them who they were, "I just need a moment to speak to him…"

"I fear it's too late My Lady."

"Gaius, please," she nearly begged, "I…I cannot see this happen. I must help him. I only need one more chance to do it."

Gaius sighed, seeing the pleading expression on her face, seeing the determined glint in her eyes, knowing that she really did believe that she could get through to him and…he didn't want to see this happen either, he didn't want to see another young man die because of Uther, "I will have to put an end to this. If he fights _tomorrow_, either his magic will be found out, or worse...the King will die," he gave her a firm look.

"I know," Morgana swallowed and quickly headed back to the box, needing to see the end of the tournament before she could go confront Gilli.

~8~

"People are talking," Morgana murmured as she stood outside the tavern that night, Gilli having spotted her outside the window as he was surrounded by others and claimed he needed air. They were standing in the shadows of the tavern, hidden from prying eyes and speaking quietly so no one could overhear them.

Gilli shifted, nervous, "They keep asking me, 'How did he fall on his back?'" he mimicked, thinking of how he'd caused it to happen with his own magic, how the man had fallen, how he hadn't gotten up, "I just tripped him like that. I mean, I'm strong, you don't realize it."

"You can tell ME the truth Gilli," Morgana cut in, not wanting him to try the same lie on her that he'd been telling others.

"What's this about?" he looked at her, tense.

"You really hurt your opponent," she told him quietly, "Gaius thinks there's a chance he'll heal but…it doesn't look likely."

"It could've been _me_ that got injured," he countered, a hard look on his face.

"Just because it could have been you does not mean it would have," Morgana shook her head, "You cannot attack others because you think they may attack you first. You told me you were going to withdraw."

"You've seen the way people are now," he countered, getting more bold, forgetting he was speaking to a noble woman, the dark was good for that, "They're showing me respect. And you don't know what that's like for me."

"I do."

"No," he gave her a glare, "You're a noblewoman," he forced himself to remember, "And you don't…" he dropped his voice, "You don't have magic, so you can't understand. No one can."

Gilli turned to walk away when she called out quietly, "Lonely," she offered, "Terrifying. To have a gift but think it a curse and be forced to hide it when you can do…so much good. To live your life in the shadow? I do know how that feels."

Gilli turned to look at her, silently questioning if she had magic, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. Because she didn't know. She had…dreams, and sometimes they came true, it seemed. But…she couldn't say if it was magic or perception, she was clever and observant and who was to say her dreams weren't just her mind working out the most likely events to happen?

"Then you understand why I have to fight," Gilli took a step back to her, assuming that she did have magic by her silence, "If Uther is killed, so what? How many of our kind have dies at his hands? How many more will? It's time those with magic fought back!"

"Gilli…" Morgana closed her eyes at that, even if she did or didn't have magic, Uther was the king and…there was something…else, something she couldn't put her finger on that was keeping her from seeing him hurt, "You can't go after Uther…"

"You can't tell me what to do!" he snapped.

Morgana rose to her full height, feeling the familiar fire rise in her again at how this boy was speaking to her, she had shown him all the respect he deserved and yet he was yelling at HER? That wouldn't do, "Magic should be a tool for GOOD. How are you helping 'our people' if you go about killing others using magic? How will that make anything better?! You can't use it for your own gain!"

"I'm not going to apologize for who I am! You can be a noblewoman and…and think you're better than everyone, but I'm not going to sit by and..."

"I am NOT like that at all!" she cut in, "I've been protecting YOU!"

"No?" he scoffed, "You're defending the King! Protecting a man that would have you dead!"

"And you killing him will make you better than him how?" she countered and Gilli fell silent, "Uther kills because of his own hatred and his own power," she looked at Gilli harshly, "I thought you a good man with a good heart. Will you prove me wrong and become like Uther?"

She gave him one more look before she turned and strode off into the darkness, praying to every deity she could think of that she'd gotten through to him.

~8~

Morgana sat in the royal box the next morning, on Arthur's left side, Gwen on his right, as he joined them in the box. Her face was set in stone as she watched Gilli and Uther step out into the arena. She could see Gaius waiting off to the side, he'd set himself near the guards and she knew that if Gilli showed even a sign of magic, that Gaius would have the guards rushing out there with a cry of magic. She'd managed to convince him to let the two fight, if she told Uther now he'd be forced to arrest Gilli and all it would seem was like the king didn't think himself capable, the people would think him trying to cheat. If Gilli fought and used magic, then it was proof he was a sorcerer and everyone would see. As terrible as it was to think, if he killed the man with magic he'd only be sealing his own fate and that of other magic-users because Arthur would never forgive that, he'd become as hardened against magic as Uther was.

But…there was a chance the boy would fight and he would fight with honor instead of magic. Uther would likely win, which would cement his victory and Gilli would be able to say he fought and lost on his own instead of winning with magic.

She kept her gaze locked on Gilli as he entered, the boy looking pale as he faced her, catching her eye. She pursed her lips, making him very aware of how disappointed, angry, and insulted she was by him and he actually winced at that.

Arthur stood, calling attention to all as Uther and Gilli faced each other, "Let the battle commence!" he cried.

"For glory!" Uther saluted the boy.

"For glory," Gilli saluted the king back before they ran at each other.

Morgana watched intently, holding her breath, her heart pounding in her chest as Gilli fought and fought well…and _without _using magic!

The battle was over fairly quickly as a result though, Uther was a hardened warrior and had gotten Gilli on his back with his sword at his throat in mere minutes. But those minutes…those were quite something to be awed about, to have lasted even that long against the king. Morgana was sure Uther was allowing it though, not fighting that hard to give the boy something to remember, to give him a minute of glory and hope before he claimed the title of victor for the fourth time.

Uther reached out a hand to help Gilli up, lifting his sword to the cheers of others as Gilli bowed his head to the king and made his way out of the arena. Morgana, using the distraction of the crowd, slipped out of the box and managed to catch him at the gates.

"I didn't use magic," Gilli said to her quietly, the yells and cries of the crowd keeping their discussion private.

"I know," she smiled, "I'm proud of you."

He nodded, "You were right," he looked at her, "If I'd used magic to…to do that…I would be just like Uther. I would have…betrayed our kin. Thank you Morgana," he smiled at her, "You were the first person to…to believe I was a good man even with magic and you made me realize I'm better than this. Magic isn't meant for fighting and hurting others. I never understood my father. I thought that he was afraid of magic. But he wasn't. He was afraid of what it can do, how it can corrupt. I know now that he was, he was strong. Well, he was stronger than me. I'm sorry I let it get as far as it did."

She reached out and touched his arm, "What you did in there Gilli gives me hope," she murmured, "Hope that others will use their magic for the right means as well and, maybe, one day, Arthur will see them do so and…who knows? Perhaps he might allow magic to be permitted once more. Then…no one will have to hide."

"I hope that happens," Gilli whispered, thinking on that.

"I hope so as well," she squeezed his arm, offering him one last smile as he turned to go, seeing him walking straighter and prouder.

~8~

Morgana was oddly quiet as she sat at dinner with Arthur, Gwen, and Uther that night, though there was a small smile on her face, a pleased one, she was still so overjoyed she'd been able to help Gilli even if she didn't know why she felt so strongly about doing so.

"I thought the boy was going to kill me," Uther joked as they ate.

"It was quite the duel," Gwen offered with a smile.

"Ah yes," he nodded, sipping his wine, "The old fighting spirit kicked in. I dug deep, found my strength, and the whole thing just began to flow. I felt at one with the sword," he groaned a little though as he stretched to put the wine back down, "My feet moved instinctively…"

"And you are champion once again," Morgana nodded, though she gave him a knowing smile, "Though it was Arthur who should have gotten the title."

"What?" Gwen looked at Arthur.

"I don't know what you mean, Morgana," Arthur gave her a pointed look, telling her to keep quiet.

"I know you through the fight," Uther told him, "So that I might save face," Arthur looked at him, shocked, "I have followed your progress with a sword since you were a boy. I know your abilities better than anyone. I am eternally grateful. I hope that, when you are King and have _sons_ of your own," he nodded at him and Gwen, Morgana frowning more at his emphasis on children while Gwen blushed and looked away, "That they will afford you the same honor. Indeed, the most satisfying outcome of the tournament was that Arthur's actions have shown me that he is now truly ready to be King," he lifted his goblet to the boy in toast.

Morgana lifted hers slowly, the conversation turning to Gwen and whether she'd liked the 'pre-marriage' tournament it was meant to double as. She shifted in her seat, listening to them, it was…she couldn't shake the feeling even now, weeks later, that all this was just…wrong.

~8~

Morgana slept fitfully in her bed that night, a pillow curled tightly in her arms as she turned in her sleep.

'_Morgana…_'

Her face scrunched, hearing a voice calling to her.

'_Morgana._'

She shook her head, not wanting to wake, not wanting to wake from the dream of the boy with black hair and blue eyes holding her…

'_Morgana!_'

She gasped as she jerked awake, her head snapping to the side to look out the window towards the forest. She wouldn't say, she wouldn't dare say but…for the last week or two she'd been hearing a deep, rasping voice calling to her at night, felt a tug to the woods.

She swallowed hard as she laid back down, turning over, her back to her window, and clutched the pillow closer, squeezing her eyes shut.

Though she could feel it inside her, that voice…it was familiar…and it had answers.

A/N: Little bit of hope that someone here remembers what happened in a way ;) Morgana knows something's wrong and well, she always struck me as very determined ;)

I can say that there'll be more about why Morgana doesn't remember she has magic to come in the next chapter, but I sort of see it as, she only learned about it because Merlin told her and since she doesn't remember him...she doesn't remember that either :(

And...Surprise! Check back in about 6-7 hours, I'll be posting ANOTHER chapter of Merlin for you all today! I'm very excited because I've hit 7 million words archived too :)

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! :)

Some notes on reviews...

I apologize for the delay in PMs. I've got over 100 to go through and real life has literally knocked me on my bum and kicked me while I'm down since December and I'm only just starting to get back on my feet, and with stress from work, midterms, homework, family, funerals, and the first week of March I honestly have barely had time to edit my chapters to post the last couple months :( I'm going through the PMs but it's slow going because there's so many of them and I'm trying to get the oldest ones answered first. But I am going through them. I managed to find yours in the mess of all of them, I've got the link on my FF profile for the Sherlock Transcripts website that has all of them, I can respond to the rest of it when I get to the PM, but I felt I could at least tell you that ;)

Not many more episodes left nope, there's only 2 actual episodes and 1 original chapter, so this story will be over on Wednesday right when the 4th one starts ;)

The major heartbreak will be toning down yup, we'll be seeing more revenge and turning on Uther coming up ;) There's only about 3-4 major heart break moments to come, but they won't last quite as long as this one :)

Uther's use of magic is a little complicated. It's like he erased the memory of Merlin and Marayna from everyone's mind and erased the event of the pyre incident and all they learned too. But it's not really erased more like...blocked? If that's the right word. I can say Morgana will find out exactly what he did in the next chapter :)

Yup, I'll be doing a Spencer/OC Criminal Minds story :) I've got the tentative cover and an OC intro up on my 'upcoming stories' page of my tumblr (link on profile) if you're interested :) But that probably won't be coming out till 2015 :)


	21. Hell Hath No Fury

Hell Hath No Fury

Morgana sat at her vanity, absently brushing her hair, and glancing at a metal basin that sat beside where she normally placed her brush. She wasn't sure why she insisted on the basin being there, it was…odd, out of place, but…she couldn't let it go. Her new servant, as Gwen had been elevated to Lady to marry Arthur, had tried to remove it and she'd nearly given the girl a heart attack with how quickly she'd ripped it out of the poor girl's hand and forbid her to so much as touch it. She really DIDN'T know why she was so attached to it.

She knew Gwen or Arthur would probably leave it up to a lack of sleep. She didn't sleep much anymore and when she did…she had the oddest dreams. She dreamt of a man and woman, both with black hair and blue eyes, she didn't know their names but she called them Emrys and Reesa, though she felt more like they were titles or something, the names didn't seem too familiar to her. She'd wake up screaming or crying and just…not fall back asleep. It was starting to get to her.

She glanced out her window, looking at the forest beyond and got up, placing her brush down and walking over to it, watching the trees. She wouldn't tell anyone, she couldn't, but…she felt this…tug, this…call, to go to the forest. It was like someone was calling her name in her head, an ancient, kind voice and…it was familiar to her. It was like she knew it, she recognized it, and she…trusted it. It was calling to her, growing more urgent as the days went on and she just…she was getting restless. Not just because the calling wouldn't stop but because she was growing…concerned. Something in her heart and her soul told her that something was wrong, SO wrong in the castle.

She looked at Arthur and Gwen and felt like it wasn't right, that Arthur shouldn't be looking at Gwen that way. She sat there as they spoke of marriage and felt like she was committing treason to speak and offer opinions on what she thought of it. She saw Gwen looking out the window and her first thought was that she was watching for someone else instead of Arthur on the practice grounds. She watched as Arthur's room got more messy and dirty for lack of servants and couldn't help but feel like there should be servants, two, but that, in the same breath there shouldn't be. She looked at Arthur's hand when he would greet her and feel like there should be a ring there on his finger already. Even the way the engagement was brought up was shocking and startling and made no sense to her. She and Arthur and Gwen had been standing before Uther as he sat on his throne and just…looked at each other, confused as to what they were doing there, when Uther remarked Arthur and Gwen were about to tell HER about their engagement.

And the first thing she thought was that…Uther was allowing Arthur to marry the wrong servant…and then realized what she'd thought and shaken her head, the fact that he was allowing Arthur to marry any servant was something different. And that wasn't just it.

She stared at the Pendragon crest longer than she should and felt like there was something about the Dragon on it that was important. SO important. She looked at her red gowns and blue gowns and couldn't bring herself to wear them, she saw red and blue everywhere and her heart clenched painfully. The Knights were polite to her, Leon flirted a bit and she felt physically ill and tried to smile as politely as she could before leaving him. She couldn't sleep at night and when she managed a moment or two she woke up with a pillow in her arms and tears dry on her cheeks. She couldn't go to the physician's chambers to ask for another batch of her draught as it just…she couldn't get herself to physically go there unless there was some sort of true and dire need, like trying to stop Gilli.

And the voice…it was soothing, like it had answers and she wanted them desperately.

So, with that in mind, she nodded to herself, turning and grabbing an old green cloak she wasn't sure why she had when Camelot's colors were red, and threw it over her shoulders. She would have to be quick if she wanted to get in and out of the forest unnoticed and within a few hours. Uther would be busy with the upcoming wedding, as would all the servants. She had sent her own maid to tend to Gwen so no one would come looking for her if she was fast.

Luckily, she grew up in that castle, she knew the ins and outs and passages like the back of her hand.

~8~

Gwen smiled to herself, humming a little song under her breath as she looked at the little trinkets set up at a stall in the market. She was wearing her favorite lavender gown, a few bits of flowers tucked away in her hair as she smiled down at the odds and ends. She was happy, she was getting married, and she wanted to get her husband to be a little gift as a sign of her affection. She just…didn't know what to get him. There was so much and…it was odd though, it wasn't that there was so much there he'd want that she couldn't decide it was more like she just didn't know what he'd want. It was like she didn't know what he'd favor, like she didn't know HIM…and that was weird, wasn't it? To feel like you didn't know the man you were about to marry?

But she shook her head, it was probably just her nerves.

"Gwen!" she heard someone call.

She blinked and turned around with a small frown on her face as she saw a man in travelling garb, more like a tunic and trousers, a sword at his hip and a rucksack over his back, beaming at her and she…

Had no idea who he was.

He was tall, handsome if she had to admit it, with tanned skin and dark black wavy hair. His dark eyes were warm and sparkling as they looked at her and she…she felt her breath leave her, her heart give a painful jolt as she saw him. Like she should be so pleased he was there but something was holding her back.

"Hello?" she tried to greet, though it came out as more of a question than anything, she really had no idea who this man was.

The man's smile seemed to slip just a hint at her less than happy greeting, but he didn't let that deter him, "I am so pleased to see you again Gwen," he breathed, coming up to her and taking her hand, kissing her hand as was only proper, making her blush for it though, "I had hoped this day would one day come and it has come early."

"That's…nice?" she really had no idea what he was talking about.

He blinked, "Are you not happy to see me?" he wondered.

"No, no I am," Gwen said quickly, not sure why she'd said it though or…or why it felt like she was being truthful in that. Perhaps it was just the…the wounded expression on his face? He clearly knew her from somewhere, perhaps it was a passing meeting and she just…she was so bad at remembering faces recently, "I am," she smiled.

But then he reached up to touch her face, "I have dreamed of this moment for so long," he whispered, leaning in, as though about to kiss her.

And for one brief moment…Gwen felt herself about to let him…before she caught sight of the Pendragon crest fluttering on a flag in the breeze and pulled away, stepping back, blushing and glancing around, relieved to see no one, not even the stall owner who was preoccupied with another customer, had seen the almost-kiss.

"Gwen?" the man looked at her, confused.

"You ought not do that," she warned him, "I am betrothed to the prince and he would by no means take kindly to someone trying to _kiss me_," she hissed out the last two words at a whisper.

"You…are engaged to Arthur?" the man shook his head.

"Yes," she nodded, smiling.

"But I thought he was…" the man trailed off, looking around as though for someone else, a sort of sinking feeling dropping into his stomach at the odd look in Gwen's eye, "Are Merlin and Marayna here?"

"Who?" the girl shook her head, not quite sure who he was talking about.

The man's head snapped back to look at her, searching her eyes for something before he blinked, "I…am sorry," he apologized slowly, "I was too forward. I…have been travelling a long while, I am weary, my head is not yet settled," he gave her a small bow, "My Lady."

She gave him a nod in return before she stepped around him and headed back for the castle, him watching her go with the most confused and alarmed of expressions on his face. He watched her go till she disappeared through the crowd…when something just to the side of the castle's entrance caught his eye. There was a man in the forest standing beside a tree, nearly obscured by it…but looking right at him. He could tell by the man's green cloak that he was a Druid and glanced around, making sure no one was paying attention to him before he headed off towards the man.

The Druids had magic…if anyone could tell him what had happened to Merlin and Marayna…and everyone else in the kingdom, it would be them.

"My Lord Knight…" the Druid bowed his head as Lancelot stepped past the forest's edge, the two of them disappearing behind a tree.

"I am not a knight," the man cut in, "But please…do you know of Merlin and Marayna?"

"Yes," the Druid looked up, "We have been scrying with the kingdom in mind, keeping watch. When we saw you approaching, they requested you be fetched."

"They are alive then?" he let out a breath, so relieved at that.

"Yes," the Druid smiled, "If you will follow me?" he nodded at the forest and they started off, "They are very eager to see you Sir Lancelot."

~8~

Morgana trekked through the woods far more efficiently than she thought she would given she knew not where she was going. But the second she'd stepped past the borders of the trees and into the wooded area, outside the hold of the castle she…felt like she could breathe. She felt that tug inside her growing stronger and followed it as fast as she could, not knowing how long it would last or if it would suddenly disappear and she was not about to risk that, not at all. She had come too far, felt too much confusion to miss this opportunity for answers.

So consumed was she in her quest through the forest that she almost didn't realize she'd entered a small clear area, like a small meadow. That is…until she felt breath on her face and noticed that the meadow was quite occupied, almost entirely, by the body of a Dragon.

She nearly screamed as she jumped back but, for some reason she wasn't quite sure of, all that came out was a squeak and a gasp. It was like she wasn't as startled by the Dragon as she should be. She…she winced, he rind was jumbled about that. It was like she shouldn't recognize the Dragon, because they were all gone, Uther had seen to that. But at the same time she had flashes going through her mind of it in a cavern, of it talking to her and she could vaguely see the boy and girl she'd dreamt of on either side of her when it happened.

"…I know you," she breathed, her one hand pressed against the tree beside her for stability and also slightly for safety, she got the feeling that the Dragon was hesitant about her or had been at one point.

"I am glad to see that Uther's manipulations have not affected you as deeply as everyone else in his kingdom," the Dragon smiled at her.

Morgana frowned and blinked, "I don't understand. What manipulations?"

The Dragon sighed, "You have been dreaming, have you not? Of a young man and woman of a similar description? Dark hair, light eyes…"

"Yes," she whispered, "You know them? They're real? HE'S real?"

The Dragon chuckled at the small hint of desperation that had entered her voice at the last question, "Yes. They are. He is waiting for you as we speak."

Morgana shook her head, "I don't even know who he is…"

"You did, once," the Dragon told her, "But Uther saw to it that you would not any longer."

Morgana stared at him a long while, "You do that a lot don't you?" she had to ask, "Never give straight answers?"

The Dragon chuckled heartily at that rather familiar irritation, "I am afraid now is not the time for me to do so is it?" he wondered vaguely, "Your King has, once again, turned to magic to solve his problems."

"Magic?" Morgana stared at him, "Uther? Use magic? UTHER?" she started to laugh a little at that though it faded near the end, something about that thought striking her as a little too…plausible.

"It would not be the first time," the Dragon warned her, "Nor will it likely be the last."

"What did he do?" Morgana looked up at him, "I…I feel different. Like I'm not…whole. But I feel as though I am the only one who feels it," she knew Gwen and Arthur felt something but it seemed like SHE felt it more profoundly.

"What I am about to tell you, Lady Morgana," the Dragon began, "May upset you, no…" he smirked, "Will most certainly upset you. All I can ask, as it has been requested of me by the ones, I believe, you know of as Emrys and Reesa?" he waited, seeing Morgana gasp at the names and nod, "Is that you do not kill the king."

"Why would I try to kill Uther?" she frowned at that, she'd just stopped a young sorcerer from killing the king, why would she try it now?

"He has taken much more from you than you know," the Dragon replied, "He has stolen your memories with an enchantment meant to hide them from your mind."

Morgana was silent at that, "Uther used magic to make me forget Emrys…didn't he?"

"And his sister Reesa, yes," the Dragon nodded, "And with it…so much more."

Morgana looked up at him, pleading, "Is there any way to…to reverse the enchantment? Or…or end it or…"

"Often enchantments are broken by the death of the caster or if they choose to reverse it. However, there are some enchantments that are so powerful that it results in the death of the caster, in which case, it does not seem likely that the enchantment can ever be broken," the Dragon eyed her intently as she bowed her head, devastated at the news, "It is these enchantments that must be broken by others more powerful than the caster himself."

Morgana's head snapped up, "YOU can break it?" she asked him, hope shining in her eyes.

"Not on everyone," the Dragon sighed, "Even if I were able to reverse it on the whole of the kingdom, I would need to be very close to Camelot, just above it to affect everyone and I…cannot risk that," he looked at her sadly, "I would incite fear and retaliation and I am the last of my kind. There are…others who depend on me and I cannot risk my life for your kingdom."

Morgana nodded, "You said not on everyone though…can you break it on ME?"

He smiled at that, she was clever, "On you, yes, but…only on you."

She blinked, "Why is that?"

"Magic reacts to magic," he said simply, making her stiffen, "I believe you have had a sense that you are…different than the others in the kingdom? That you felt a kinship to the sorcerer Gilli?"

Morgana swallowed, "I have, yes," she admitted, though she was shaking at the thought that the Dragon was implying she had magic. It was…frightening but not all together unfamiliar to her.

"I can end the enchantment on you easier than most, because your magic is already fighting against it."

"What of Gaius?" she looked at him, "He has practiced magic once."

"Many years ago," the Dragon reminded her, "His tie to the magical realm has faded with time. His magic is too weak."

"And mine is strong?"

"Stronger than you know," he smiled.

Morgana shook her head at that, "But what of Arthur and Gwen? The kingdom? How do I end the enchantment on them?"

The Dragon smiled, "Arthur was once under an enchantment, I believe the kiss of the one he truly loves shall break the enchantment on him, the same with the serving girl Gwen. You must bring Arthur to Reesa and Gwen to Lancelot."

"But the kingdom?" Morgana reminded him, feeling something familiar about that pairing already.

"When Emrys and Reesa return to Camelot, they will be able to end the enchantment at its source. Uther. For he acts as vessel to the enchantment's purpose."

"They'd have to kill the king?" she breathed, not liking that.

"I believe they are clever enough, after all this time, to work out a way to prevent his death while ending the enchantment. Magic can sometimes redirect a spell, alter it or end it," he remarked.

Morgana frowned at that, seeing the Dragon had gone back to his cryptic replies, and took a breath, "Do it. End the enchantment."

"As you wish," he nodded his head.

Morgana closed her eyes as the Dragon inhaled deeply and breathed out his magic onto her…

~8~

Uther was enjoying a peaceful lunch with Arthur and Gwen…or what would have been peaceful had the doors to the Dining Hall not flown open and a rather…irate (more like murderous) Morgana stormed in.

"How _dare_ you!?" she screamed at Uther, glaring at him as she pointed accusingly. Her dress was slightly soiled, brown at the bottom, her cloak torn, as though she'd run through the woods, which indeed she had, "How dare you do that to me!? To Arthur! Have you any idea what you have done?!"

"Morgana cease this shouting!" Uther hissed as he pushed himself up to face her down.

"I will NOT!" she continued, drawing closer to him.

"Morgana what's this all about?" Arthur slowly stood, Gwen sitting there, staring at her Lady in shock that she would be this angry over something.

"This is about what UTHER did!" Morgana spat, "How could you!?" she shook her head at Uther, tears welling in her eyes, "I loved him! I was betrothed to him! How could you do that to Merlin!?"

Uther's expression hardened as he realized two things, the first frightened him slightly in that Morgana clearly remembered the boy and likely his sister, somehow, somehow the enchantment hadn't held on her…which alarmed him that it might start breaking down for others. How long could an enchantment of such magnitude last for? He probably should have ensured that before forcing that sorcerer to cast the spell he had. And the second was that…Morgana, his ward, his DAUGHTER was betrothed to a servant! AND a sorcerer! AND she was still defending him, claiming her love for him even now?!

"You were not married yet then," his lips pursed, "You can find another suitor."

The glare Morgana shot him would have likely killed him on the spot if she were able, "And what about Arthur and Marayna?"

Arthur blinked at that, stiffening, "Marayna?" he breathed, the word echoing in his head, feeling familiar to him, far too familiar.

But Morgana wasn't finished, "Or have you forgotten they are MARRIED!?"

"What?" Gwen whispered, looking between Morgana and Arthur and Uther, feeling like…like her heart should be breaking but it just…wasn't. She shook her head, "Morgana…what happened?"

Morgana was panting in her rage as she glared at Uther, "Uther used magic to make us forget Merlin and Marayna."

She remembered now, she remembered Merlin and Marayna. Oh she was fuming! She understood now, what Uther had done, the Dragon had helped her remember. She'd been enchanted, her memories of the two pushed so far to the back of her mind and locked away it was as though they'd been erased, and all because of a spell. She had to thank her magic for protecting her more than it had Arthur and Gwen. She supposed she also had to thank Uther and his cruelty to magic-users. The spell itself was complicated and required a great deal of strength to cast, the sorcerer in question had clearly died casting it. He didn't have the skill or the strength (from being in Uther's dungeon) to cast it effectively or properly. Things slipped through. For her, with her magic helping her, she could remember events that she shouldn't have. She remembered helping Mordred even though she couldn't remember how he'd come to her, because she hadn't remembered Merlin or Marayna. But in other ways, she couldn't remember her magic because Merlin alone had told her and it had been a brief moment.

Gwen, she knew, wouldn't recognize Lancelot if she saw him, because he'd been introduced to her through Merlin and Marayna. She didn't remember anything about them and the spell affected her and Arthur more deeply. They could hardly remember anything that was even associated with the two, but SHE did. She remembered Merlin, she remembered feeling happy and safe and loved and...and UTHER had taken that away from her! He was the vessel of the enchantment, there had to be one person in Camelot that still had memories of Merlin and Marayna, to direct the enchantment to the ones that needed to be forgotten. And that was Uther.

"I will not have you spewing false accusations at me!" Uther snarled at her, "I will not have this slander from my own ward. Guards!" he shouted, "Take her to the dungeons!"

"Father!" Arthur jolted forwards, "Father, clearly she is…she is enchanted," he tried to offer, tried to excuse her behavior, knowing his father wouldn't ever resort to magic, not him, not the king of an anti-magic kingdom, it was his own laws that prevented magic from being practiced there, but then…he saw his father flinch.

"Oh I was!" Morgana shouted as she was dragged out of the room, not about to use her magic, knowing that Uther would have her executed for it now, daughter or not, and she was not about to let that happen, not when she had to find Merlin, "By Uther himself! HE did this! This is HIS fault!"

The doors slammed shut behind her.

Uther cast a warning look at Arthur before he turned and strode out of the room himself, leaving Gwen and Arthur alone.

"Arthur?" Gwen asked as she slowly started to stand, seeing a look on his face that was a cross between anger, betrayal, and hurt.

"That name," he whispered, "Marayna," he looked at her, "I KNOW that name, Guinevere."

She nodded, "As do I. Merlin and Marayna…they're familiar."

They glanced at each other and then to the doors, knowing what it meant, they had to speak to Morgana.

~8~

Morgana was pacing in her dungeon cell, the favored one that Uther seemed to love throwing her into. At least this time she wasn't chained to the wall, but that did little to ease her mind. She knew Merlin would never forgive her if she used her magic and got caught, if she was executed. She wanted to live to see him and she knew she'd already made Uther angry by letting it slip that she loved Merlin and was going to marry him. It had been a foolish thing to say out loud to the king, but…she had been so angry and hurt.

She looked up, in the middle of trying to work out some way to escape without using magic, when she heard footsteps coming and saw Arthur and Gwen appear before her cell.

"Morgana," Arthur called.

"What is it?" she shook her head, in no mood to hear him go on and on about how she should apologize to his father and had she lost her mind to accuse him of using sorcery and what was she thinking. She needed to work out what to do, if…if she could get word to Merlin and Marayna, they could come get her, or transport her to them? Surely the Druids would be skilled enough to cast such a spell or teach them how?

One thing she knew Uther hadn't counted on was that, in everyone forgetting Merlin and Marayna…the guards would forget they were magic-users. They could enter Camelot and wander about and, as long as they didn't see Uther, they'd be safe. She knew that there was a chance they didn't know what Uther had done, that they still thought themselves in danger and that was why they hadn't come. She was worried though because the last two weeks Uther had (for some reason she was only realizing now that she remembered) been doubling the patrols and the scouts into the woods, something about the Druids and wanting them all taken care of now before they attacked…which was something that hit her even more after what she'd said to Gilli.

Uther still remembered, and Uther was determined to see them dealt with before they could do anything.

She'd heard reports, terrible reports from the guards and the scouts of how they'd attack a site and injure quite a few before they'd be scooped up in winds and disappear from right before them. She hoped it meant that Merlin and Marayna were at work, and that they were just distracted by the need to help their kin, she WANTED them to help the other magic-users first. But equally, she wanted Merlin back, she wanted to be able to help him.

"Did father truly…" Arthur began, taking a breath, it was still quite hard for him to speak of it, "Did he truly use magic on us?"

"On the whole of the kingdom," Morgana nodded.

"But why?" Gwen shook her head, "The laws…"

"Uther has always thought himself above the laws," Morgana cut in, a bite to her words, "You must be aware of that Arthur. The laws would have executed anyone who harbored a sorcerer, who gave them even a piece of bread to help them, even if they knew not it was a magic-user before them. Yet Uther, who has housed sorcerers disguised and broke bread with them remains untouched. He has always resorted to sorcery when he was desperate."

Arthur looked down at that, something about desperation and his father striking him in the gut and… he couldn't help but feel like it had something to do with him.

"This…Marayna," Arthur began cautiously, "You…you said she was married to me?"

"Yes," Morgana strode over to the bars, wrapping her hands around them, "She had black hair, and blue eyes, and spirit," she chuckled a bit, tears in her eyes as she remembered the girl's brother as well, "She never let you get away with anything, she always put you in your place. She…she called you Artie at times, to irritate you. But you called her…"

"Mara," he breathed, blinking though his expression was confused, "I…I don't…"

Morgana moved her hand to touch his as his own rested on the horizontal bars that ran across the cell, "I have been told that the kiss of the one you truly love can break the enchantment."

Arthur's eyes snapped up to hers, "Did you…"

She swallowed hard, knowing that with him like this, not knowing about magic, she couldn't tell him of her own or the Dragon, "No," she offered, if he did as she'd tell him to, he'd see Merlin and she couldn't risk her lie coming undone, "I don't know why," she offered, "Perhaps the spell Uther had cast struck me last? Or perhaps not enough as Uther did not know of Merlin and I, but…I remember. I…remembered another time you were enchanted and how that was broken. I hope it shall be the same, for you and Rayna," she looked at Arthur, "And you, Gwen," before she turned to her, "And Lancelot."

"Lancelot…" Gwen murmured, testing the name, feeling her heartbeat pick up at it.

"How can we find them?" Arthur looked at Morgana intently.

She smiled, so relieved to hear that he wanted to know, that he was willing to find this woman and to break the enchantment, that he believed her, "Go to the woods," she told him, "That was where they escaped to."

"Escaped?" Gwen frowned, wondering why they needed it.

"There isn't much time," Morgana shook her head, "They can explain it to you when you see them, if you don't remember before then. But…take Bartok," she told Arthur, "You gifted him to Rayna once, they formed a bond. He…he may be able to lead you to her."

Arthur nodded, before he looked down the hall, and back to Morgana, "You have my word, I will find them."

"Me too," Gwen nodded, "I…I saw a man earlier, I…it may have been Lancelot," she told them, "I thought I saw him heading for the woods when I looked back before entering the castle, he may be with them too."

Morgana nodded, "Good luck," she watched them go before calling out, "Arthur!" he stopped and turned to her, "Please…tell Merlin I'm sorry I forgot him…and that I love him."

Arthur gave her a nod of promise before he and Gwen ran off down the halls, knowing they needed to escape Camelot before Uther's anger quelled and he realized that they were likely to do something similar. Morgana let out a breath and rested her head to the cold metal bars, a small smile on her lips as she watched them go.

Soon, she knew, soon everything would be alright again.

A/N: Oh boy, Morgana is...very ticked off lol :) I really can't wait till Arthur is confronted with Marayna, I can say there'll be a tiny surprise waiting for him at that point, but it may not be a good one }:)

Some notes on reviews...

OMG you completely read my mind for the title of this chapter lol :) I love it when that happens :) Angry Morgana is very fun to write :)

I hope you liked Kilgharrah's appearance here :)

I'm sorry about your grandmoter :( I hope she gets better and that your grandfather is doing ok :( It's definitely not fun :( But thank you, if you ever need to talk, I'm here for you too :)


	22. The Coming of Arthur - Part 1

The Coming of Arthur (Part 1)

Arthur rode hard through the woods, Bartok practically flying, the horse seeming to know just where to go. He had no idea how, but he trusted the horse, Bartok had often been able to find him when he'd been younger and wandering the woods too far from the knights that accompanied him, he knew the horse could find this Marayna girl as well. His heart was pounding with every thump of the horse's hooves and he knew it had nothing to do with the fast pace the horse was setting and everything to do with knowing each beat of the hoof meant he was getting closer to the woman.

He knew it probably seemed odd, that he'd just believed Morgana and what she'd said. He knew his father, everyone knew of his hatred for magic. By rights he should have scoffed at Morgana and taken his father's side but…there was just something inside him telling him that he knew this Marayna, this Mara, that she'd spoken of. He had been silent, the last two weeks, mostly due to his 'betrothal' to Gwen…a betrothal that, now that he thought about it, he couldn't rightly remember proposing to the girl for…because she was meant to be his bride but…he'd been having dreams, of the girl Morgana had described. He'd dreamt of her every single night, tried sleeping longer and longer than he should have, making himself rather late for quite a few duties but he just…wanted a few more minutes with the girl in his dreams.

He dreamed of her in blue dresses and red dresses, in tunics and leggings, smiling at him and rolling her eyes at him, kissing him as often as she shouted at him. He dreamed of her sweeping his room or mucking out the stables, sitting with Gaius and smiling or walking with a boy who looked a little like her. He dreamed of small moments in the woods, picnics and riding horses and chasing her through the courtyard. He dreamed of her so often that when he woke up and recalled he was supposed to wed Gwen he felt a crushing weight on his chest, he felt like he was betraying her…Marayna, not Gwen, and that was wrong. He'd tried to play it off like he was happy to wed Gwen, thinking there must be something in him and between them that would lead him to propose to the girl…but the more time he spent around her the more he felt like he was talking to Morgana, to a woman who was his sister. But his father had been so happy and encouraging of their union he hadn't the heart to stop it.

Now though, as he and Gwen raced through the woods, he knew that it had to stop. They'd rushed from Morgana's cell, hating to leave the girl behind but knowing if they released her Uther would know exactly where they'd gone. They were hoping he wouldn't still work it out but that he'd think they'd gone on a small picnic together or something else that couples did though they knew that there was a chance that he'd work it out and send guards after them. It was why they hadn't stopped, they'd urged their horses on faster, needing to get a head start on the guards that would no doubt begin to follow them.

Arthur hoped, just this once, that his father would not send the knights after him, he and Gwen had long since passed into Cenred's kingdom, to send any knights after them would be suicide. Though deep in his heart he knew that it was the likely event.

He had little time to think on that when the horses suddenly stopped and reared up, nearly throwing him and Gwen off as they stumbled back and panted, huffing at something they couldn't see.

"What's wrong?" Gwen called as her horse calmed enough to get it beside Bartok, "What's happened? Why have they stopped?"

"I don't know," Arthur looked around, trying to see if there might be a snake in the grass or something else.

"They stopped because they are not permitted to pass," a voice said from their right. They looked over to see a man with dark skin step out from behind a tree. He looked up at the two of them and gave a small bow, "Prince Arthur, and…Guinevere, I believe?"

"Gwen," she corrected lightly, glancing at Arthur, knowing the man was a Druid by his cloak.

"I am Aglain," he straightened, "I have been expecting you."

"If you have been expecting us then why can we not pass?" Arthur frowned.

"You may," Aglain smiled, "But not on horseback."

"Why not?" Gwen blinked at that, it was an odd request.

"Going on foot allows us time to flee," the man said simply, nodding to the side where they just noticed small trinkets were dangling from the trees, "These wards prevent knights and others from racing to attack us. They warn us when those are near and prevent a horse from continuing on with a rider on its back."

"Then all we must do is continue on foot?" Arthur asked, not even waiting for an answer before he swung himself off Bartok, taking the reins in his hand and starting on.

"Do you know where it is you are going?" Aglain called as Gwen hesitantly followed suit, "Or even…whom you seek?"

Arthur paused at that, hearing another message in the man's words, before turning to him, "Do YOU?" he countered.

The man laughed, "It is why I am here," he gave a bowing nod of his head, "I have been tasked by the High Priestess and Archmage to guide you to our camp."

"And why should your Archmage and High Priestess wish to see us?" Arthur eyed the man suspiciously.

The man merely smiled, "I believe it is due to our High Priestess rather missing her husband," he gave Arthur a pointed look.

Arthur stiffened at that…Morgana had…not said anything about his wife being the High Priestess, let along about her having magic.

Gwen glanced at him as he hesitated to go after hearing that, "You married her Arthur," Gwen reminded him gently, "A wife would NOT keep such a secret from her husband, and if Uther truly did force us to forget…" she left it hanging but her meaning was clear.

HE had known the woman had magic and had not told his father.

Arthur swallowed and nodded, "If you would," he gestured the Druid on.

Aglain nodded once more and turned to go, sending out a mental call to his brethren that the son of Uther was coming.

~8~

Merlin and Marayna were in…quite a bit of alarm as they practically ran around the Druid camp, not only was it the sheer number of injured magic-users that had been steadily pouring in the last week or so from all the extra raids Uther was ordering, but they'd just received word from one of their scouts that Ealdor was about to be attacked by Uther. They had been watching the man intently ever since they'd escaped and he had, thankfully, not attacked the small town just yet. They didn't know why, perhaps it was trying to maintain the guise of no one knowing about them in Camelot, that it would be odd to attack such a small and meaningless town, or perhaps it was because it laid within Cenred's boarders and there was no sign of magic, not even with Mordred there, coming from the place. They weren't sure, but all they knew was just yesterday a small band of knights had been sent out and were heading for Ealdor.

They HAD to get here, head them off, or at least get Hunith and Mordred out of there. They KNEW those were the only ones Uther would have sent his knights out to apprehend, likely to draw them out or perhaps even kill her. Either way they weren't going to see that happen and they knew that, even though Uther had no idea about Mordred, the boy would likely end up harmed or killed as he'd come to see Hunith as a mother and he'd rather fight to the death to protect her and use his magic to do so than to let her be captured by knights and hurt.

They were in a panic as they wouldn't be able to transport themselves with magic till they'd gotten out of the protective wards around the camp and they had to get out there NOW!

They had just gathered the last things they'd need and were turning to go, when the elder Seer called out to them, "Lady Reesa! Lord Emrys!" they spun around to face her, fearing the worst, fearing that she'd seen something in her waters that might imply that their mother would be worse off than they thought, but that was NOT what the woman said, "Iseldir is in danger!"

"What?" the siblings shouted.

Iseldir was the leader of another Druidic clan that resided in the nearby caves. Aglain's clan, well, not really a clan but more like a camp, tended to reside in the forests, usually nearer to Camelot but with Uther's paranoia growing ever stronger they had retreated across to Cenred's boarders where magic was at least tolerated…due in large part to Morgause they knew and her alliance with Cenred. They had spoken to Iseldir only once before, when Marayna had given him the cup of life from where Aglain had been hiding it among their people.

Aglain and a handful of his people had gone to the Isle of the Blessed after she had been carried off from there by Merlin, once she had faced Nimueh. She was embarrassed to say she hadn't even thought about the Cup of Life that Nimueh had used to cure Arthur of the Questing Beast's bite. She truly hadn't even really known about it, let alone seen it, only Merlin had. She hadn't noticed and it escaped her mind as she'd thought it destroyed in the middle of her attack on Nimueh as much of the surrounding area had been. Thankfully the Druids had foreseen the battle and her taking up the mantle of High Priestess, rightly claiming it when Nimueh had been killed, and had gone to retrieve the Cup themselves as it was apparently indestructible, protecting it till that moment. They knew that not many knew of the cave-Druids, focusing more on the forest-Druids, and had thought that the Cup would be safer with Iseldir. Now though, it seemed that was not the case at all.

"What happened?" Marayna demanded.

"A small group of knights have been sent out after Prince Arthur," the woman told them, they had seen Arthur and Gwen coming and sent Aglain out to lead them there, "They were led astray though, by spies of Cenred."

"Are they ok?" Merlin frowned.

The woman shook her head sadly, "I am afraid all but one perished," she whispered, "And the one that survived, a Sir Leon, only did so due to Iseldir's help."

"He used the Cup of Life, didn't he?" Marayna ran a hand through her hair at that, she trusted that Iseldir knew what he was doing, the consequences and made sure that everything was in balance when he saved Leon.

"Yes," the woman nodded, "Sir Leon reported back to Uther what had happened and, as _we_ were able to see it happen, I fear…so was Morgause."

The siblings looked at each other. In the two weeks they had been there, they had learned much about magic. They'd heard the lore of the Cup when they'd handed it over to Iseldir for protection. Centuries ago a warlord used the Cup for foul purposes. He'd taken a drop of blood from every man in his arm and put it in the cup and, because it was the Cup of LIFE, all the soldiers became immortal, forever living, even when they'd been run through. They'd laid waste to much of the land, killing all who dared oppose their king.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what Morgause, and likely Cenred, would plan to do with the cup. Camelot, without them there especially, would be easy to seize if they got a hold of that cup.

"I have seen it," the woman whispered, seeing where their minds had gone, "Even now, Cenred and his spies prepare to find the Cup. And…"

"What is it?" Merlin looked at her in concern.

She swallowed hard, "They shall capture the Prince and…" tears welled in her eyes, "And Aglain will fall in the process."

Merlin and Marayna looked at each other at that, so SO torn about what to do. They were being pulled in so many different directions, Iseldir, Arthur, Camelot, their mother…there were too many things to see to and not enough of them to handle it all.

"Send word to Iseldir," Merlin told her, "Tell him to prepare to protect the cup, to hide it, to flee, whatever he thinks will be best. And send word to Aglain as well, perhaps if he knows of the Cup he will hasten here and be saved."

"Inform Lancelot of this, he shall keep you safe if any stray knights find a way in, we are trusting him to keep you safe till we return, we will see to our mother first," Marayna decided, their mother, as she knew Arthur would understand, would always come before her husband, "We won't be able to focus separated or until she's safe."

Merlin nodded, knowing that was true. They'd fret and worry FAR too much with all the danger around if they each saw to one thing and left the other alone. And their mother would weigh too heavily on their thoughts, keeping them from focusing on anything else, and people would get hurt. Arthur, they knew, could handle himself for a short while, Iseldir would and had been protecting the Cup and would likely already have it hidden, Camelot wouldn't be in danger till the Cup was in Cenred's possession…so really…their mother came first.

"As you wish," the woman bowed to them before rushing off to do as they bed.

Merlin and Marayna joined hands and ran off into the woods, needing to get to the board of the wards so they could transport themselves to Ealdor.

But, just as they reached the area, just as they began to utter the spell…they felt a terrible pain go through their hearts and felt a profound loss in their souls and they knew…Aglain had already fallen…

~8~

"Aglain!" Arthur shouted, rushing for the man as he fell to the ground, though he knew it was in vain.

There was an arrow protruding right out of his chest, having struck the man right in his heart before he could even see it coming. The man had been walking ahead of them, humming a small song, when he'd suddenly stopped and turned, his eyes closed as though listening to something...before he'd stiffened and fallen to the ground, the sound of an arrow being released filling the air.

"C...cup..." the man tried to get out.

"Save your strength," Arthur urged him, resting his hand on the man's chest, trying to get him to still and keep quiet.

Aglain, with the last of his strength, grabbed Arthur's arm, "The Cup of Life..." he wheezed out, a small trail of blood making its way down from the corner of his mouth, "Find it...find the caves and...find them."

Arthur watched in alarm as the man let out one more breath and stiffened, his eyes wide as the life left him. Arthur shook his head, trying to make sense of the man's message when...

"Arthur!" Gwen gasped, stumbling to the ground as something struck her in the neck.

Arthur swallowed hard, turning to run to Gwen as she collapsed, pulling the small dart that was stuck in her neck out and sniffing it hesitantly…he could recognize a tranquilizer when he saw one.

He leapt to his feet and looked around, his sword drawn…only to feel a sting in his neck as the world around him went black…

~8~

"Guinevere," a gentle voice called to her as she slept, "Guinevere, wake up!"

Gwen blinked a few times as she came to, to find that she was in the middle of a small crowd of men, lying on the floor with Arthur beside her, trying to wake her, "What happened?" she whispered to him as he helped her stand.

Arthur looked at her seriously, "I promise you Guinevere, I will get you out of this safely," it was his duty as a knight to ensure the women were safe.

Gwen opened her mouth to say something when someone over Arthur's shoulder caught her gaze. Just as the man reached for Arthur's shoulder, Arthur turned and grabbed his arm, "Touch me again, you die," he hissed.

"Arthur it's Gwaine!" Gwen rushed past him to hug the man as Arthur spun around to see him standing there, the man himself.

"No manners you royals," Gwaine huffed, "Why can't I get a greeting like THIS from you?" Gwaine gave Gwen another squeeze as he teased Arthur.

"What are you doing here?" Arthur asked, squinting at the man he…had a vague idea who Gwaine was, a…fighter, he knew, but…he just didn't know how he recalled him. He knew Gwaine had helped him fight at some point but…he rubbed his head, now quite sure that there was some sort of enchantment on him. Gwen, obviously remembered the man more than he did but that was fine, as long as he knew the man could be trusted…

Though NOT trusted with Marayna, he found himself thinking, he ought to keep the man FAR away from her for some reason he wasn't sure…

"Well, you know, wrong place, wrong time, wrong drink," Gwaine shrugged.

"Where are we?" Gwen stepped back and looked around, trying to ignore the crowd of men, being the only woman there.

"The bell of an old castle. Belongs to a fellow named Jarl."

"Never heard of him," Arthur stated, wondering if, perhaps he had but the enchantment was affecting that too.

"Lovely bloke. Slave trader."

"We're going to be sold as slaves?" Gwen breathed, seeming truly frightened of that.

"No, not you," Gwaine winked at her just as a man who had to be Jarl by how quiet everything got, entered.

"Right, you filthy vermin," the man called, "Which one of you's ready to face my champion in the arena?" no one said a word, "No volunteers? Well, I shall have to choose one of you toe rags myself, then. Let me see. How about you?" he pointed a sword at Arthur, "Death or glory, boy. You should be honored," he tossed Arthur a sword.

"Who is this so-called champion?" Arthur caught it mid-air.

Jarl smirked, "Are you ready, my champion?"

Gwaine sighed, "I am."

Arthur had just turned to face him when the crowd surged, pushing him forward, pulling Gwen back into their numbers as the circle of men expanded, allowing them room to fight.

"Gentlemen, the rules are simple," Jarl began, "One man lives and one man dies. If you cannot or will not finish off your opponent, I'll kill you both," he smirked, "Let battle commence!"

Arthur quickly lifted his sword to block an attack sent at him immediately by Gwaine, "Take it easy, will you?" he hissed.

"Oh don't worry," Gwaine rolled his eyes, just trying to make it look real, "Nothing's going to happen."

"I doubt that," Arthur lunged at him.

"If I damage that pretty face of yours, Ray will kill me," Gwaine continued to fight.

"Ray?" Arthur frowned.

Gwaine gave him an odd look, "Ray. Rayna?" but Arthur just stared, "Marayna? Your wife?"

Arthur's eyes widened, "You KNOW her!?" and then something erupted inside him as he realized Gwaine had just called her 'Ray' as though he had his own little sweet nickname for her. He angrily slashed Gwaine's sword out of his hands and ran at him, tackling him to the ground, the two of them wrestling instead.

"What is WRONG with you?" Gwaine struggle against him, "Of course I know her! She's my friend."

"Oh a friend is she?" Arthur grunted, ignoring Jarl's cries to finish him, "Why do you call her Ray then!?"

"Why do you call her Mara?" he countered, which was, apparently, the wrong thing to say as Arthur nearly punched him across the face for that, "I got drunk and mispronounced her name! I do it to irritate her!"

THAT seemed to calm Arthur down ever so slightly.

"Why are you acting like you don't know this?" Gwaine frowned at him.

"Because I don't," was all Arthur could say before a chandelier of candles that was above them, only a foot behind Jarl came falling to the ground, landing with a crash.

All the men turned at the sound, Jarl crying out and, with them distracted, Arthur felt someone grab his hand and yank him away, him taking Gwaine with him as Gwen, who had snuck through the crowd as it fixated on the fight, led the way, having cut the rope tied to the chandelier, causing it to fall.

They ran as fast as they could, hardly daring to stop till they made it out of the castle, Gwaine taking the lead once they were out of the room, though Arthur picked up pace to get them a safe distance into the woods just outside.

"Well," Gwaine huffed, "That's somewhere I'll not be in a hurry to see again," he swallowed and looked over at Arthur, "Now what did you mean you didn't know?"

Arthur took a deep breath, straightening, "My father has…" he cut off a moment, hardly daring to say it out loud, "He has turned to sorcery."

"Doesn't surprise me," Gwaine remarked, "But for what?"

"Have you…you know who Merlin and Marayna are?" Gwen called from where she'd collapse against a tree and sat down.

"Course I do," Gwaine laughed, "Why would you ask that?"

"Because we don't," Gwen told him, "We have no memory of either of them."

Gwaine blinked and stared between them, "Truly?"

Arthur nodded, "My father saw fit to block them from our minds with an enchantment. We were on course to break it when we were attacked and taken to Jarl."

Gwaine let out a breath at that, "I am coming with you," he told them, "If you don't know who they are then…I should be there to point them out."

Arthur nodded, "Thank you."

Gwaine gave him a nod back, "Do you know where they are though?"

"No," Gwen pushed herself to her feet, "We had a guide but he was killed."

"He told me…the Cup of Life," Arthur looked at them, "That if we find that, somewhere near the caves, we shall find them."

Gwaine looked at Arthur, watching him intently, it seemed he'd been informed, at some point, that Marayna and Merlin had magic and…well, he seemed to be taking it far better than he had last time, though it was probably just because of the enchantment confusing and muddling his mind…in which case, he really DID need to be there if something went south, if he saw someone use magic and reacted badly, not realizing it was Marayna.

"Well then," Gwaine put his sword in his belt, "We'd best be off."

~8~

They made quite a good deal of travel in the short time of daylight they had left, arriving at a series of caves. Well, it was more like a large cave really. Arthur couldn't help but think, as he stood there staring at it, that there was a smaller cave somewhere in the kingdom that he should have looked to first, but this was the only one that he could see that would be able to house Druids, which he assumed would be the guardians of the Cup as he'd been told of in little myths and legends from when he was younger. There was something he vaguely recalled as the High Priestess protecting and using the cup, but when she was unable to, the Druids taking the responsibility. If the Cup was in a cave when Morgana said go to the woods where Marayna was and Marayna was the High Priestess…well, it was in the hands of other Druids then.

But as he stood there, looking around, he couldn't help the sense of unease. Aglain had said that he'd find Marayna if he came to the caves, yet there was no one in sight. Everything was eerily quiet, the same quiet he often heard before a battle which had him wondering if this was a meeting with Marayna and Merlin or if he had been called in as some sort of reinforcement to protect the Cup. Either way, the Cup, or those who had it, held the answer.

"Come on," he glanced at Gwen and Gwaine before they slowly made their way into the cave, looking around cautiously for anyone that might be able to help, "Do you see it?" he asked them, "It has to be here somewhere…"

Gwen looked over, spotting a cloth moving as though in a breeze yet there was none in the cave, and walked over to it. She pulled it aside to see a small Druid boy hiding, flinching back when he saw he was discovered, "It's alright," she held up her hands, moving onto her knees to seem less threatening, "It's alright, we aren't here to hurt you."

Arthur slowly made his way over, "Can you tell me where the Cup of Life is?" but the boy just stared up at him, "Please, my…my wife…" he had to pause at that, he'd expected it to feel far more odd to say than it did but it felt oddly right, "I was told to come here, that she would be here…she's the High Priestess…"

"Then you must be Prince Arthur," a voice said behind them and the trio spun around to see that there was indeed a man behind them…with quite a few other Druids surrounding him and them, "I am Iseldir. We have received word from Lady Reesa and Lord Emrys," he told the prince.

"You have?" Arthur blinked.

"Yes," he nodded, "Enemies of Camelot come for the Cup," he informed them, "The sorceress Morgause wishes to use ancient magic to create an immortal army for King Cenred to seize the kingdom of Camelot."

"Where is the Cup?" Arthur asked, a bit more of a demand in his voice, "Please, give it to me, I can return it to her and protect Camelot as well…"

"That was the request of the High Priestess and Archmage," the man nodded, "It is yours," he turned as two Druids stepped up with a small box between them, and took the chalice out of it, handing it over to Arthur, "They mettle with a power they do not understand, Arthur Pendragon," he warned the man, "Be sure to return it safely to Emrys and Reesa."

"I will," Arthur nodded, glancing at the others, "Come on," he told them, rushing out of the cave and hoping that the chalice, the Cup of Life, would have some way to breach the defenses around the Druid camps, to allow them access, perhaps having a magical artifact would do so, whatever it was, he needed to get to Merlin and Marayna (who the Druids seemed insistent to call Emrys and Reesa for some reason) as soon as possible.

None of them saw Iseldir close his eyes, sending a telepathic message back to the Druid's forest-camp with word that the Cup was no win Arthur's possession and he was on his way. They had wished to accompany Arthur on his quest back, but...a large mass of Druids accompanying three rather bedraggled people would be far too obvious. Cenred had spies, he knew what Druids looked like, there would be no hiding themselves from him. But, perhaps, the Cup would be safe. Morgause would be too focused on finding the Cup herself and, hopefully, that would mean that she wouldn't think that Arthur would retrieve the cup himself.

~8~

Gwen sat beside Arthur, the prince resting next to a small fire that night. Oh…she had no idea how Arthur was going to react once he woke but she doubted it would be good. Everything had been going so well, they'd made it to just outside one of the Druid wards, they could see one of the trinkets hanging in the trees…when Cenred's men attacked. Morgause had been spying on them, apparently, and had been waiting for a chance to attack.

Arthur and Gwaine had fought nobly, Arthur had passed her the Cup to run off with, trying to give her time to escape while they held the men back but it hadn't been enough. A soldier had caught up with her, her dress slowing her down, and grabbed the Cup right from her hands and taken off. She'd tried to hold on, to fight back, but she wasn't strong enough. She'd scrambled back to the men, about to tell them what had happened, set them on the spy's path…when she'd returned to see Gwaine fighting off the last spy, Arthur on the ground with an arrow in his leg, unconscious.

The prince hadn't woken since then, not even when they'd tried to tend his wound. She wasn't a physician, but she knew poison when she saw it and the arrow had been poisoned. Arthur was sweating but shivering at the same time, warming by the fire even as she pressed a small cloth torn from the hem of her dress on his forehead with cold water on it. She knew that she should have run back to Camelot, warned them of what was likely to come, the army of immortal soldiers, but…Arthur needed help and Gwaine couldn't take care of him all on his own, he couldn't defend Arthur and care for him at the same time.

Gwaine had gathered the wood for the fire and was resting from his time in Jarl's prison, while she tended to Arthur's wound and fever.

Suddenly Arthur jolted awake with a cough, squinting as he looked around, "Where's Mara?" he wheezed, as though he expected to be in the Druid camp, that she'd gotten the cup to them, but then…he seemed to realize, "Where's the Cup?" he looked up at her.

"Cenred's men," she whispered, "They took it. They shot you with an arrow, you've been unconscious for hours…"

Arthur tried to stand but fell back to the ground in pain, his cries causing Gwaine to jump awake, the man rushing over to help her support the prince as he tried again.

"We have to get back to Camelot before it's too late," he panted.

"What about Ray?" Gwaine looked at him.

Arthur swallowed hard, "She'll understand," he murmured, not knowing if it was true or not, but hoping it was, "My father…" he winced, even knowing how his father had betrayed him…he was still the king, and Camelot was still HIS kingdom, "My people…they have to come first."

Gwaine nodded, he'd seen how Marayna had come to care for the people of Camelot and he knew her well enough to know that THIS was exactly what she would have wanted, the people, other people, always came first.

~8~

Morgana was sitting in her cell, her back to her wall, already knowing what lay beyond the small window of it. An immortal army was gathering just outside the gates of Camelot. She'd dreamed it, called to the guards that there was a danger coming, but it appeared Uther had ordered them not to approach her or even listen. Apparently Uther was under the impression she would try to sway them, convince them that he was lying and a traitor and oh she SO would have done that if she hadn't thought it would eventually get her executed.

But she'd been ignored.

She'd seen it, she'd seen Morgause with the Cup of Life, she'd seen her gathering the blood of Cenred's army. She'd seen an immortal soldier threatening Cenred, making the king aware of just how much power she held over his own knights once they became immortal. She'd seen Morgause threaten him to do her bidding or she'd have him run through. Morgause seemed to think that Cenred still had some usefulness in whatever plot she had going and had spared his life.

She'd seen the army drawing closer and now…now she knew they would be attacking at dawn, she'd heard the whispers of it from the guards as they prepared and she was nervous. She hadn't heard anything from Merlin or Marayna, nor from Arthur or Gwen and she was starting to worry. She tried to scry for them in the flames of the torch across from her cell but she wasn't that skilled yet. There was no crystal or water around her which left only her own meditation and she was too tense and nervous to focus, her dreams had seen to that. Her tension the last two weeks hadn't helped her either.

She closed her eyes, she could use magic, she could escape right now…but with all the guards on high alert…a single shred of magic from anyone would have them run through immediately.

She swallowed hard, all she could do…was wait…

~8~

Arthur was nearly sick to his stomach as they reached the walls of Camelot. They were too late. They were too late to stop the army or even to warn the king about what was coming. His leg throbbed painfully but that was nothing compared to how sick at heart he felt to see his kingdom in such a state. There were villages burning around them, peasants lying dead in the streets, the patrol of Camelot all fallen, not a single one left alive, not a single one of the bodies from the enemy side and the nearer they got to the castle, the more the body count rose.

It was a slaughter, plain and simple.

And he knew, Iseldir was right, it had been Morgause and Cenred and their immortal army. And now…now he just had to find a way to get into the castle. But they needed a place to hide and a place to rest and somewhere to tend to his wounded leg…Gwen had insisted upon her home.

Gwen frowned as she struggled with the door, "It should be opened, it should open," she murmured, but it refused to budge.

"Here, let me," Gwaine stepped forward and kicked the door open…only for Elyan to jump up, screaming, with a hammer and sword in his hand.

"Elyan!" Gwen gasped, rushing right to her brother despite Arthur and Gwaine automatically pulling their swords.

"Gwen!" Elyan breathed, dropping his weapons to hug her, "Prince Arthur!" his eyes widened as he realized who had broken in, "I'm sorry."

"Where is everyone?" Arthur demanded.

"I…I thought that..."

"Elyan, please, what happened?"

"They came out of nowhere, a mighty army. Weapons were useless against them. Th…they were men, Sire, but not men. Nothing could kill them. Nothing."

Arthur nodded, "Do you know of where my father and Morgana are?" he needed to know if Morgana had been let out of her cell or if she were still trapped, he doubted his father would do that to her, keep her locked away while the castle was under siege.

"Last I heard, he was in the citadel when they attacked," Elyan replied, "I know not of Morgana."

Arthur nodded, "Then there's still hope."

"Sire…" Elyan hesitated, "The citadel's been taken."

Arthur's jaw tensed at that, "Let's go," he turned to walk out, all of them aware that his limp had worsened.

"How much longer can he keep going like this?" Elyan whispered to his sister as they followed him.

"Not much longer," she breathed back, even though she knew she was not truly to wed Arthur now, she did still care for him, he had been very kind to her through all her life and she worried for him the same way she worried for Elyan. She fretted for a moment that he might not make it to the citadel, but luckily, having been born and raised in Camelot, he knew quite the shortcuts and they were there within minutes.

"Where now?" Gwaine looked around, Arthur leaning on a wall, struggling to stand.

"Now, er..." Arthur winced, his hand going to his leg.

"Arthur, you need to stop," Gwen tried to argue with him.

But Arthur shook his head, "We must. We must find the others, we must see Camelot safe," he winced, "I need her back," he murmured, "And that cannot happen till my father is safe."

"You will never get back TO her if you don't get that leg treated," Gwaine grabbed his arm.

Gwen looked around, knowing that there wasn't time, "Elyan, you and I shall go to the dungeons and look for the king and Morgana…"

"I'm going with you," Arthur shook his head.

"You're going with ME," Gwaine squeezed the man's arm, "And WE are going to Gaius. You lose that leg, Ray will chop off mine."

Without even waiting for Arthur to finish, he turned and started to literally drag Arthur down the corridor amidst much grumbling and protesting that was only quieted by the reminder that there were likely immortal soldiers of death wandering about that could hear his whining.

~8~

Gwaine half threw Arthur down onto the workbench in the physician's chambers, pointing warningly at the prince to stay where he was seated as he turned and fumbled through a mess of potion bottles, trying to find something to help…when a rattling sounded in a cupboard to the side. Gwaine frowned and made his way over, listening intently before he pulled the door open, seeing Gaius crammed inside it, hiding, "Gaius!"

Gaius blinked and looked up at him, "Do I know you?"

Gwaine frowned at that, glancing back at Arthur and recalling the enchantment. Whoever had casting had to have been either very weak or so far beyond their ability if everything was as choppy as this. Gwen knew him, Arthur barely knew him, Gaius didn't know him at all, there was certainly nothing solid about the entire thing and he hoped that meant it would be easier to break that way.

"Don't have the time," Gwaine shook his head, "The prince is in need of your assistance," he gestured to Arthur, not daring to bring up Marayna or Merlin, not wanting to know if the man remembered his own niece and nephew, it was just…he actually felt like it would break HIS heart to know if the old man who was like a father figure to them had forgotten them as well.

Gaius nodded and immediately got right to work, "This may hurt a bit, Sire," he warned, before turning the man's leg to the side to inspect the wound, ignoring his cries of pain, "The wound's infected. I'll have to redress the leg to reduce the inflammation."

"No, no, no, no," Arthur shook his head, "We haven't got time. Just give me something to keep going."

Gaius looked at him, sensing something more than just a need to get Camelot sorted in the man's voice, there was an almost…desperation there too, "Yes, Sire," he turned and grabbed a potion, handing it to him, "The effect will be instant, Sire, but I cannot guarantee how long it'll last."

"Thank you, Gaius," Arthur drank it down quickly.

"Arthur!" Gwen gasped as she and Elyan burst through the doors, "We saw the King, he's alive. They were taking him to the Main Hall."

"And Morgana?" he turned to them.

"We don't know," Elyan put a hand on Gwen's shoulder as tears filled her eyes, "She wasn't anywhere to be found."

Arthur nodded, "Then there is a chance she has escaped," he whispered, feeling a weight lift off him at the thought, hoping that that was exactly what it meant, however slip that might be, "We need to save my father…" he moved to stand.

"How?" Gwaine scoffed, "We're talking about an ARMY of immortals. We'll be lucky to make it out of here alive just escaping let alone rescuing the king."

"I won't leave my father to die here alone," Arthur said, feeling a flash of pain sear through his heart at that, feeling like he'd seen another person lose their father, have them die before their eyes and he did NOT want that, "Gwen, Elyan, take Gaius and make your way to the woods beyond the castle. Gwaine…you're with ME this time."

Gwaine grinned, "You asking me to start a'courtin' Princess? How would your wife feel about that?"

Arthur just shook his head at that and strode out of the room, hearing Gaius turning to Elyan and Gwen to ask, "His wife?" before he shut the door, not sure why his heart hurt to know that Gaius had forgotten Merlin and Marayna too.

"You going to be alright?" Gwaine glanced at him as he took a moment to steady himself.

"As long as we keep moving," Arthur nodded and the two of them hurried off down the halls.

~8~

Gwaine was starting to question the intelligence of the Crown Prince when he found himself and Arthur crawling on their stomachs along the edge of a small balcony above the Main Hall, overlooking the thrones. Luckily there was a wood carving before them, like an intricate grate through which they could see out but others had a hard time seeing them. They peered through the cracks and holes in it to see that the room was full of immortal soldiers in Cenred's armor.

Uther was dragged in, forced to his knees as Cenred himself moved behind him and grabbed the man's bound hands, holding him down as the soldiers stepped back, Morgause coming to stand before him.

"Well, Uther," the blonde smirked, "How the mighty have fallen."

Arthur nearly growled as he saw her, till Gwaine whispered to him, "You go out there now, you die. The immortals will kill you. You want to see Ray again, you keep quiet."

Arthur bit his lip an quieted, watching as Morgause continued, "I don't think you'll be needing this anymore," she strode forward and tore the crown off of Uther's head.

"This is unlawful!" he shouted, "You cannot do this. You have no right to the throne!"

Morgause smirked, "You're right, I don't…" she looked to the side and Arthur frowned, seeing Morgana being forced in between two immortal knights, dressed in a regal white gown, looking far more pale than normal, tears in her eyes as she struggled, "But SHE does," Morgause laughed, "She IS your daughter, after all. Don't look so surprised," she grinned at Uther, Arthur's eyes flashing to his father as he saw the look of shock on his face but the man wasn't denying it, but then he saw an equally shocked look on Morgana's face, but directed at Morgause, it seemed Morgana had known as well but was surprised Morgause did, "I've known for some time as has my traitorous sister," she sent a glare at Morgana.

Arthur watched in confusion and horror as Morgana was forced onto the throne, glaring at Morgause, who merely nodded to a soldier. Geoffrey was shoved forward, the Queen's crown, Ygraine's crown in his hands.

"On with it," Morgause hissed at him.

"By the power vested in me," Geoffrey stepped beside Morgana, holding up the crown, "I crown thee Morgana Pendragon, Queen of Camelot."

Arthur shook his head as he saw Morgause smirking, Uther being forced to bow, as Morgana closed her eyes as the crown was placed on her head, opening them to look at Uther with a terrible sadness and regret in her eyes.

Arthur could only take comfort in the knowledge that Morgana was being forced to do this. But it did little to help as he felt his world crashing down around him.

His wife and apparent brother-in-law were lost in the forest, he could hardly even remember them. His father was a prisoner in his own castle. His now-revealed sister was being forced to be queen of Camelot likely upon threat of Morgause. Cenred and Morgause were taking over…

And there was nothing he could do to stop it.

To be continued...

A/N: Poor Arthur :( Poor Marayna :( A little Merlin-Marayna light, I know :( I really wanted to have the reunion in this episode, but as I was writing it, the characters' responsibilities just kept pulling them further apart :( Marayna has her people to worry about with Merlin, just like Arthur and Morgana have their people to worry about, and both have their own parent in danger and needing help :( Family will always come first for them, I feel :(

But...we'll see not just a reunion tomorrow and a resolution for the Camelot-takeover, but...the start of Story 4 too! :)

I'm glad you all liked Morgana's angry moment :)

Some notes on reviews...

I don't think Kilgharrah's been in many recent ones no :( I missed him too, that's why I _had_ to bring him back last chapter :) I sort of feel like he was so straightforward with Morgana just to annoy Merlin and Marayna, like he always goes on in riddles with THEM but just tells Morgana how it is lol :) Oh Arthur and Marayna will be back together tomorrow ;)

Lol, I do a wiggle dance in my chair too when I get to the 'notes on reviews' part :) I'm always so touched by every single one I do a little wiggle dance for each ;)

You're very welcome :) I'm really glad my stories are able to help take your mind off things for even a little while :)

Oh there'll be a bit of a big twist for what they'll do to Uther. Let's just say...there'll be consequence they weren't expecting }:)

Aww thanks :) I hope your Merlin buddies enjoy the story too :)

lol, I do that too when I watch a show after writing an OC for it, I'm like 'wait, where's Mara?!' :)


	23. The Coming of Arthur - Part 2

The Coming of Arthur (Part 2)

Arthur, Gwaine, Elyan, Gwen, and Gaius wandered through the woods, having only barely managed to escape Camelot as Morgause took over. Morgana had remained silent, glaring at her apparent sister, something that shocked Arthur to learn, as Morgause gave order after order about how things were going to change in Camelot. The remaining knights were to be thrown in the dungeons, along with Uther, magic returned, and so many other things that Arthur would have tried to change had Gwaine not grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room and gotten him out of the castle. He'd struggled, wanting to go back, but Gwaine had reminded him that, at worst Morgause would keep Uther alive to have him watch his kingdom crumble, at best…Morgana had done something to get Morgause to keep the king alive given how she'd looked at the king as she was crowned and how they'd seen her watch the immortal guards lead him off.

Either way, Uther was safe, Camelot would hold for now, but they HAD to find Merlin and Marayna. The reminder of the woman who was his wife had gotten through to him, along with the unspoken reminder that she and her brother had magic, magic they would undoubtedly need to combat Morgause and her immortals.

And so they'd found themselves back in the woods, wandering through, Arthur and Gwen trying to get to the same place that Aglain had first found them, hoping they would remember enough of the path to try and get back to the Druid camp they knew the man had been about to take them to.

"Sire," Gaius called as they kept walking, having been at it through most of the night, the sun already risen, "I wish to ask if…if you know where we are going?" he truly hadn't any idea, he knew there were ample caves yet Arthur was heading directly through the forest.

Arthur had just opened his mouth to answer when there was a crack of a twig ahead of them. Gwaine, Elyan, and Arthur leapt forward, pulling their swords as Gwen ran to Gaius's side to help protect him, watching the men tense and wait for whoever might be approaching…only for her breath to leave her when she saw the man from the market step past the trees, two people, a man and a little girl, beside him in green cloaks.

"Prince Arthur," Lancelot quickly put his own sword away, "I had hoped it would be you I was sent to collect," his gaze flickered to Gwaine and Elyan, "I take it you are Gwaine and Elyan then?" he eyed them.

"Aye," Gwaine nodded, "That's us."

Lancelot smiled, "Lancelot," he gave a small bow, "M…"

"Lancelot?" Gwen breathed, stepping around from Elyan's side, staring wide eyed at the man, "That…that's your name?"

Lancelot blinked and looked at Gwen, offering her a sad smile, "The enchantment," he nodded to himself, "They warned me about that."

"Did…did 'they' tell you how to break it?" Gwen whispered, not even realizing she was slowly making her way towards him, her gaze locked on him as the other men watched cautiously.

"They…have their theories," Lancelot nodded, "I believe I prefer the method of the um…how did they phrase it?" he gave a small chuckle, "Overgrown lizard."

"And what's that?" Gwen murmured, now only a foot in front of him.

"I believe it was this," he replied, leaning in and capturing her lips in a gentle kiss.

Arthur, Gwaine, and Elyan (who had been held back by a firm grip of Arthur) stumbled back as a small wave of air rippled out of Gwen, like a small pulse shooting out of her. Gwen, however, gasped, pulling away from Lancelot with wide eyes as she stared at him.

"Lancelot!" she cried, launching herself at him and hugging him tightly, her arms wrapped around him, clutching him close as she panted, her heart racing as her mind cleared, so many memories pouring back into her. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, "I'm sorry," she spoke in his ear, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"I know," Lancelot nodded, burying his face into her neck as he held her just at tightly, "They told me…they explained what happened," he pulled away gently, touching her cheek, "I don't blame you Gwen," he smiled at her, wiping a tear from her eye, "I am glad you have been returned to me."

Gwen reached up to touch his hand, holding it against her cheek a moment longer before she pulled it away, holding it.

"Gwen," a voice called from the side, and she looked over to see her brother shaking his head at her, "What is going on?" he asked, "I thought you were to wed the prince?"

Gwen flushed, "I…an enchantment was placed over the kingdom," she told him, just realizing that he and Gaius didn't know what was going on, "To…to make us forget some…very good friends, Morgana's beloved, and…Arthur's wife."

Elyan looked at Arthur, shocked, as Gaius frowned, "His wife?" Gaius murmured, feeling like something about what Gwen was saying was true, like…like the two people she was speaking of were TOO familiar to him, that they were important to him.

"Yes," Arthur nodded, "And I'd rather like to see them."

The male Druid nodded, "Come with us," he called, turning to lead them off.

"They can be trusted," Lancelot vouched for them as he too turned to follow them, Gwen immediately beside him, her hand in his. The four men behind them glanced at each other, hesitating a moment.

The little girl looked back, letting go of the Druid's hand and jogging back to Gaius, "Please come," she took his hand instead, "Emrys and Reesa miss you very much."

Gaius blinked at that, recognizing the names from old Druid prophecies, and was startled that two of the most powerful figures in the magical realm would miss HIM…he was quite sure he'd never met them before but…Gwen had said something about an enchantment. He nodded, squeezing the girl's hand and making her smile.

"Kara," the Druid called, "Come."

The little girl, Kara, beamed up at them and tugged Gaius on, Arthur, Elyan, and Gwaine following, Gwaine more easily than the others.

~8~

Three figures stood at a small stone altar set up in the middle of the Druid camp, all dressed in green cloaks, two with their hoods up. One hooded figure was standing at the head of the altar…where a small figure was lying, the second hooded figure a foot to the side, their arm around Hunith as she sniffled, tears in her eyes, watching as the third Druid, their hood down, stood in the middle, their hands resting on the center of the figure and the altar. The two hooded figures stiffened as a sudden hush fell upon the camp, and they knew what it meant, especially when they heard more footsteps step into the camp.

Arthur frowned, seeing the Druids completely silent and shifting, glancing between him and the three Druids at the altar. The hooded figure at the head of the altar straightened and they could see the head turn to the other hooded figure by how their hood shifted. Their eyes followed to the second figure who gave a nod which was returned. The first figure turned back to the altar, seeming to set something down upon the edge of it though they couldn't see what it was by the cloak and body hiding it.

"Step forward, Arthur Pendragon," the Druid that led them there gestured him forward, a small path parting in the Druids, leading towards the altar.

Arthur hesitated, glancing at Lancelot who nodded, Gwen smiling as though she'd worked something out, before he took a breath and followed the path down to the altar, stopping at the bottom of the small makeshift stone steps that led up to it.

The hooded figure turned, pulling the hood down in the process, to reveal a woman that had his heart stop to see. It was the woman from his dream, the black haired, blue eyed woman, she was wearing a red dress of Camelot's fashion, and…she was smirking at him. He would forever deny that he ended up on his knees from the sight of that smirk, it was…magic, yes, it had to be that…even though her eyes didn't flash as all magic-users did when using the craft.

The woman sighed as she looked down at him, shaking her head, "You truly DO fall under enchantments far too easily don't you?" she murmured, her words confusing him for only a moment though his mind quickly blanked as she moved down the steps towards him, his breath coming faster, his heart starting again and racing the nearer she got. She looked at him carefully, before she slowly crouched down before him, not seeming to care if her red dress got dirty, "We shall have to work on that, won't we?"

Arthur stared into her blue eyes, blinking rapidly, "I…I know you…" he breathed.

"I should hope so," she smiled, eyeing him almost challengingly, "Who am I?"

Before he even realized he'd done it, Arthur lifted his hand and touched her cheek, cupping it, his thumb brushing along the side of it as he just…stared at her. Everything. That was the answer, she was…everything, to him. But he knew that wasn't what she was asking, he knew she was challenging him and it felt…so familiar to him, to have someone, HER, challenging him without actually challenging him. She wanted to know that something inside him recognized her, that something was between them that was strong enough to overcome an enchantment, she wanted hope and faith in him reaffirmed…and he was NOT about to lose that. He felt like he had once before, like he'd done something so terrible to her, he couldn't bear the thought of it happening again.

She reached up and, unlike Gwen, pulled his hand away first, her fingers curling around it and bringing his hand down to rest on her knee, "I am waiting, My Lord."

He frowned at that, at that title, "Mara…" he whispered, tugging her forward by the hand holding his and kissing her deeply, his other hand coming up to curl in her hair at the back of her neck as he held her to him, feeling like he couldn't stop, like he wouldn't be able to breathe if he did, like this had to last as long as possible. It was so…pure and right and…desperate, he needed this, more than he realized.

For one brief moment, when he'd realized his 'wife' had magic, he'd thought for a single second, that he'd married her only to serve as a tie to the magical realm, like most princesses were given to husbands to secure an alliance or broker a peace, that it was a marriage of convenience to heal the rift between two people…as absurd as that was given who his father was. He'd thought he'd kiss her and that would be it, he'd remember her and what happened and that would be it. He'd heard Morgana say that a kiss from the person he loved would end the enchantment, but his mind hadn't made the connection to that word 'love' despite how he'd been feeling the entire time and the things he'd said before he realized he'd said them.

Now though…he realized how utterly ridiculous that was, he couldn't stop kissing her, not now, not now that he had her back.

He pulled away with a gasp though as that thought struck him, "I told you not to call me that," he murmured, looking into her eyes, "I am not your Lord, Marayna."

Marayna smiled widely at that, "Well then, _sire_," she laughed, seeing him starting to smile, "I could always call you Artie."

Arthur just let out a breath at that, closing his eyes and resting his forehead to hers, taking a single moment to just…take it all in, to spend that one brief second with her, with his wife, his memories slowly trickling back into his mind, making his heart clench painfully to think of how he'd forgotten her, all those moments and all those kisses and all those promises he'd made her…ripped away from him.

And a thought struck him that he'd almost wished Morgana hadn't done whatever she might have to protect his father from Morgause…that the king would have been run through or something for what he'd done, for the betrayal not just of his son and his people but his very own laws…before he felt Marayna lift her hand still holding his and kiss his knuckles.

"Save the kingdom first," she murmured, "Confront the king second."

"Actually," a voice called behind her, "Can we make it save Morgana first?"

Marayna smiled and stood, Arthur rising with her as the second hooded figure turned, his hood falling off his head to reveal…

"Of course Merlin," Marayna moved over to her brother's side, putting her arm around their mother, whose gaze remained fixed on the altar.

Arthur frowned, not quite sure why Marayna had walked away from him after two weeks apart…when he saw why.

Mordred was lying on the altar, paler than death, his shirt stained red as a Druid whispered the Old Tongue under his breath, his hands pressed to a wound on Mordred's side. And then he realized…Marayna had been holding the boy's hand before when they'd arrived at the camp.

"What happened?" Arthur stepped up to the altar, looking down at Mordred, the boy was breathing shallowly, but seemed strong, a hint of color coming back to his cheeks. He looked over to see the Druid, a healer, was just finishing their work on the wound, the last lingering evidence of it closing, startling Arthur to see such healing.

"Uther ordered an attack on Ealdor," Merlin told him.

"Hunith, were you harmed?" Gaius quickly made his way up the small aisle of Druids and over to his sister, taking her in his arms as Merlin and Marayna stepped away to allow him access to his sister, knowing how a sibling bond was.

"My children arrived just as the knights did," Hunith whispered to him, her voice choked with emotion, being sure to call them HER children and gesture at Merlin and Marayna so that Gaius (whom she knew was under an enchantment as well) would understand the true extent of what Uther had done.

"But we were too late," Marayna murmured.

"Mordred was trying to hold them back from attacking mother," Merlin continued, looking at Mordred and then to Arthur, "We found out that Uther realized Morgana remembered…he sent knights to seize mother, to…to kill her," he swallowed hard.

"Mordred wouldn't let that happen," Marayna moved over to the altar as the Druid stepped down, reaching out to touch the man's arm, squeezing it and smiling at him in thanks as the Druid gave her a deep bow for it, before she turned and took Mordred's hand once more, "He…used magic to protect her."

"And the knights attacked for it," Merlin sighed, rubbing his head as he joined his sister.

"Will he be alright?" Gwen asked as she and Lancelot slowly approached with Gwaine and Elyan, "Morgana will be beside herself if he's not…"

Merlin smiled at that, "He'll be just fine, we managed to get there in time for that," he looked at Arthur, "We stopped the knights dealing a fatal blow and spirited them back to the camp."

Arthur let out a breath, "I'm sorry…I didn't know."

"We know," Marayna nodded, "We've had our Seers watching Camelot, we know what Uther did and…" she glanced at Merlin, "We know what Morgause has done."

Merlin started to grin, "And we know what to do to stop her."

"Well what are we waiting for Ray?!" Gwaine cheered.

"For you to sober up Wen," Marayna shot back at him with a smile.

"You wound me Princess," Gwaine put a hand on his heart, "Ooh…" he frowned, "Now I can't call HIM princess…" he nodded at Arthur, before he smirked, "You wound me my Queen," he gave her an exaggerated bow for that.

Marayna's eyes flashed and Gwaine winced, putting a hand to his ear, "Nice, flick me in the ear for showing you respect."

Elyan though, was just staring at Marayna in alarm, looking from Gwen to Lancelot to Gwaine to Arthur…who DIDN'T seem shocked that the woman he'd just kissed had used magic.

Merlin glanced over at him, seeing his alarmed look, "We should probably start from the beginning," he remarked, "There's…a lot to tell you," he looked at the small group as they nodded, while they'd been in Camelot with the Druids watching them, Merlin and Marayna aware of what was happening with them, THEY had no idea what had been happening in the Druid camps.

"Come," Marayna nodded to the side as Merlin picked up Mordred gently, "We can speak in our tent," she turned to lead them towards a small one that had been set up, not about to leave Mordred to be tended by anyone else but them till he woke, bringing him with them to protect him even in sleep while they all spoke of what they knew.

~8~

Morgana silently made her way down the hall of the dungeon, slipping bread to Sir Leon and as many of the other knights as she could without alerting the guards who were watching her from down the hall as she made her way towards the cell at the end. She was…miserable. She had been made Queen of Camelot in only name, Morgause and Cenred controlling the kingdom through controlling her. It had been a week since her 'coronation' and she was praying every second of the day that Merlin and Marayna's plan would work. She dreamed it, every night, she saw it, she saw it coming…she just didn't know when. She knew that while SHE knew what they'd do, they were likely still in the process of planning it at the moment and she just…she was trying to be strong, to keep at least some sense of control of Morgause until it happened.

It was hard though, the knights were fierce and defiant, refusing Morgause at every turn, refusing to pledge their allegiance to HER when the woman demanded it. She hoped that they would realize by her glares at Morgause and her pleased smile when they remained strong that she did NOT want this to happen, and it seemed they did. They smiled and whispered thanks when she tried to sneak them more food, trying to keep their strength up like she knew they'd need for the time to come.

She tried to keep Morgause from outright killing them for their defiance though, spouting something about how if the KNIGHTS of Camelot knelt to her reign then so would the people who still remained hesitant. She could tell though that Morgause was growing restless, she'd only just barely been able to keep her from forcing a public display, demanding the knights bow to her in front of the people, because she knew they'd still remain strong and she knew Morgause would turn her soldiers on the people as a show of control. She didn't want that.

The hardest part…or actually, the easiest…was keeping Uther alive. Morgause had wanted to kill the man, put his head on a pike, show that he was not as powerful as he thought, make a show of him and a warning to others of what would come for them if they continued to support the 'king' and Arthur. But Morgause had changed her mind at the end. And Morgana knew why. Cenred…he and his spies and his resources went deep and far. He had dug into Uther's past, found records of the marriage between Uther and her mother, the annulment that followed, her birth and conception making it all too obvious to others whose daughter she was. He'd immediately reported that back to Morgause and now…now she understood why her 'sister' had turned 'traitor' on her and sided with Uther, why she was defending him.

Well, Morgana had only learned about Uther being her father AFTER Morgause had attacked, but Morgause seemed to think she'd always known, or at least knew before that moment. It didn't really matter anymore, even if she hadn't known till after that moment and she'd been so determined to see him safe back then…she'd be even more determined to keep Uther alive now that she DID know. And Morgause was using that to her full advantage.

Morgause had found her in the dungeon cell and had, in no uncertain terms, told her she would have Uther killed, publically, painfully, and in the longest, most drawn out manner magic could afford, if Morgana did not do exactly as she bid. She'd been forced to submit, Uther, even if he was her father by birth, even if he didn't acknowledge her as his daughter to the public, and even if Gorlois was her father by how she was raised…Uther was still the man who had cared for her and protected her and he was ARTHUR's father, Arthur…her brother, the man who had always been there for her like Merlin had been there for Marayna. And…Uther was still the king, it was her duty to protect him as much as it was a knights.

She'd had to submit to Morgause's wishes…she'd taken the crown to keep Uther alive and protect him from the immortal army.

Morgana stopped before the last cell and glanced back at the immortal guards, watching her, before she stepped inside, "Father," she whispered.

Uther turned around from where he'd been staring out the window, his arms chained to the wall, to face her, "Morgana…" he moved as though to embrace her, all too aware this was NOT what she wanted either, but was unable to, the chains held him back and she didn't step forward.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, "If I get too close, the…the army has been ordered to kill any who touch me."

It was Morgause's way of 'protecting' her.

Uther let out a breath, "Why are you doing this?" he shook his head at her, he could see it in her tear-filled eyes, in how pale she was, in the bags under her eyes, in how she was shaking and how her voice cracked, that she was scared, she was terrified and, now that he knew she knew he was her father, it broke his heart even more.

"Morgause threatened to kill you if I did not," she told him, this was the first chance she'd had to see him since he'd been thrown in the prison, "I had no choice."

"You could have let me die," he told her solemnly.

Morgana shook her head, "You are my father, Arthur's father, the KING," she reminded him, "I could not lose another father."

Uther swallowed at that, "I'm so sorry this is happening," his expression hardened, "It shall only serve as proof though, to the people, that all those with magic are nothing but the lowest, most foul, heartless…"

"Stop," Morgana closed her eyes, holding up a hand to him to silence him, "Don't…don't say that."

"It is true," he insisted, "And the people will see it. They will rise up and…"

"No," she swallowed and looked at him, "Do not tell me that magic is evil."

"It is."

Morgana looked at him a long while, "You're hurt," she whispered, looking at a cut on the back of his forearm, an inch or two above his wrist. The immortal guards hadn't been quite so gentle with him and…Morgause DID let them 'play' from time to time with the prisoners, beating them or slicing at them, it made her sick to hear about, but she could do nothing to stop it. She stepped closer to him, though she was careful to stand just far enough away where he wouldn't be able to touch her, "Let me help…"

"Gaius has escaped," Uther shook his head, "There are no supplies to…"

"I didn't mean that," Morgana murmured. She looked up at him, staring into his eyes, before she took a breath, and looked back down at his arm, holding out a hand just above his cut…Uther watching as her eyes…flashed gold and the wound on his arm healed.

Morgana stepped back quickly, her eyes down, a tear escaping them as she headed for the cell door, needing to get out of there before Uther said anything, "I hope you shall have mercy, as I am your daughter, and execute me swiftly by axe instead of fire for healing you with magic I was born with," was all she could get out before she turned and fled from the cell.

She strode down the hall, trying to remain as strong as she could, straight-backed, head held high, though she swiped beneath her eye as she passed the knights' cells, needing to not let Morgause see her cry…if she did…she knew the woman would pounce on that weakness and try to use it against her.

And that only reaffirmed her thought that she'd made the right decision in who to side with, Arthur, her brother, would NEVER do that to her, and that was what a true sibling was.

~8~

Marayna sat beside Arthur as he rested on a log by a fire in the middle of the camp, seeing him brooding and silent, and handed him a bowl of soup.

He had been sitting there, looking around at the Druids around him, how accepting they'd been, though he did see a few distrustful looks, not that he could blame them given who his father was, but it seemed his marriage to Marayna had helped soften their thoughts on him. It was…odd…to see her so in her element, wandering around the camp, giving orders and helping people, calming them down and organizing them with Merlin. Usually HE was the one giving orders but, watching her, he realized just how regal she really was. Oh it was a crude regal, course, but…natural as well. She'd been essentially bossing him around since she'd met him, telling him what to do and whatnot.

It struck him to realize…these were HER people, just like Camelot was his. He had to wonder if, one day it would changed. He knew that the magic-users around him were equally Merlin's people just as Camelot's were also Morgana's. Perhaps, in the future, they could…compromise. He and Marayna could handle Camelot, Merlin and Morgana the Druids, the Merlin did seem more at home in nature, as did Morgana, they'd likely connect with the Druids more than he could. And…it would form an alliance too, that his sister helped the 'ruler' of the Druids while his wife helped him rule Camelot, which also worked in reverse as Merlin's sister would help rule Camelot and his wife (or future wife…they had BETTER not be wed yet) the Druids.

"It's rat," Marayna told him after he took the first bite of soup, smirking as he strained to swallow it, "Merlin killed it," she added. She'd actually been speaking to the elder Seer when she'd spotted the rat and screamed, half jumping into Gwaine's arms as he accompanied her, trying to find out where the ale or mead or gin might be, teasingly of course, and Merlin had instantly just gone after the rat…which was good for Arthur, he needed some meat, the Druids were largely vegetarian.

"I believe that was meant to be MY job," Arthur countered lightly, "As your husband, my duty to protect you from that which you fear."

Marayna smiled at that, "I'm glad you remember again," she whispered, her gaze flickering to Gaius, it was still hard for her and Merlin to be around the man, knowing that he didn't remember them and that Alice was too far away to get her there to help him remember.

"I'm glad you aren't cross with me for forgetting," he replied.

She shrugged, "Uther forced that enchantment on you, he influenced your mind, made you think what he wanted. It wasn't your fault."

"Hasn't stopped you from being cross in the past."

"You hurt me in the past," she reminded him, "This time you fought the enchantment to get back to me. Now…instead of deflecting with talk of magic, why don't you tell me what's truly bothering you?" she gave him a look, knowing that he was talking about magic far too easily for something much bigger to not be bothering him.

He smiled at that and took another bite of the rat soup, "I just…" he sighed, "I don't understand why father wouldn't tell me? About Morgana. She's my sister…I should have known that."

Marayna could only offer him another shrug, "I would hope it's because he wished to protect you both, but I can't say, only he can."

"Morgana wanted to tell you," Merlin's voice spoke before he sat on Arthur's other side, "She wanted to let you know but she didn't know how to approach you about it. How she'd explain how she knew, if Uther would even tell you the truth if you'd confronted him about it."

Arthur rubbed his face at that, knowing his father would have likely lied.

"He…told me before we wed," Marayna added, "That…he'd arranged for the news to be announced after his death, after your coronation as king, so that any children by her could be accepted as a potential heir to the throne. But he wanted to secure YOUR place on the throne first."

"I don't understand why that would be a problem," Arthur shook his head, it explained why he wouldn't publically say but not why he wouldn't tell HIM about it, "Morgana is first born, yes, but I'm the male heir…the crown would naturally fall to me."

"I think he may have known of Morgause being Morgana's sister," Merlin mused, "Gaius mentioned it to me once, that they were sisters, that Uther had asked questions about Morgause when she first arrived in Camelot. If he told Uther…he may have feared that Morgause would try to use the connection between them to manipulate Morgana if she or anyone else found out she was his daughter."

"She DID try to manipulate Morgana because she was her sister," Marayna reminded them, "So Uther was…slightly founded in his fears."

"But does any of that really matter NOW?" Merlin looked at Arthur, "She's your sister. Uther's your father. And right now they both need you, Arthur. Camelot needs you. You have a duty to your family, to your people. You can't give up on them now."

Arthur glanced at his wife and brother-in-law on either side of him, supporting him like he always did, "You think we can defeat an immortal army?"

Marayna smirked, "We've done it once, we'll do it again."

Arthur started to smile at that as he looked at Marayna, his hope restoring, "I missed you," he whispered, leaning over to give her a brief kiss.

"And I miss Morgana," Merlin cut in, seeming just a little pleased to interrupt their moment, knowing he couldn't have one with Morgana just yet, "I'm sorry Aya, but we really don't have time for this. We need to act now."

Marayna sighed, tapping her forehead against Arthur's as it rested on hers before she pulled away, "You're right. We need to focus."

"According to legend, there was an immortal army before," Merlin began.

"How was it defeated?" Arthur looked at them.

"The Druids said that the Cup of Life was emptied of the blood it contained," Marayna recited, "After that the enchantment broke. And um…" she winced a bit, "All the injuries the soldiers endured that went unhealed affected them."

Arthur started to nod, "Then that's what we have to do."

Marayna blinked, "They're _immortal_, Artie, not even WE know how to defeat even one of them let alone an army of them."

"Then what can we do?"

Merlin smirked, "She said we don't _know_ how to fight one…not that we didn't have ways to work it out," he stood, helping Marayna up as the two gestured for him to follow them.

They led Arthur back to their tent, Mordred no longer lying in it as he'd woken a short while ago and Hunith had taken him on a small walk about camp, apparently a few of the other Druid children remembered him from when he'd lived among them and wanted to see how he was doing and Mordred, much like Arthur actually, refused to see them lying about like he really had been dying and forced himself up to go with her. Arthur watched as Merlin moved over to a bag and pulled out a small vial of water that he'd kept on him at all times.

"Water?" Arthur gave Merlin a look as though he'd gone mad when he turned to him holding it up, "What, is it magic too?"

Merlin rolled his eyes at that, "When you went to reclaim the Fisher King's trident, I actually met him. HE gave me this. He told me, in Camelot's darkest hour, when all seems lost, it would show me the way."

"We just…don't know how it's supposed to do that," Marayna added.

"Well go on," Arthur gestured at them, "Use magic. Do…something sorcerery."

"Something sorcerery?" Merlin scoffed.

"You know what I mean," Arthur narrowed his eyes at them.

"Look at that," Marayna shook her head, amused, "The prince of Camelot ordering us to use magic."

"As long as we won't be executed…" Merlin joked.

"I am NOT my father," Arthur gave them both a pointed look, warning that the teasing was getting a bit too close to home.

"I know," Marayna smiled, moving over to him and resting a hand on his arm to lean over and kiss him, "Believe me I know. And I'm glad," she whispered to him, "You're a FAR better man than your father is and I know you'll be a truly great king sire."

Arthur smiled at her for that, "Just…do what you must to save our kingdom," he told her, pushing aside his lingering thoughts and discomfort on magic to do what he had to for his people.

Merlin nodded and looked at the water, "Gerihtlaec me," he murmured, his eyes flashing…but nothing happened.

"Fultumie me," Marayna tried, but still nothing.

Merlin huffed, "Geondlihte gesweorce min."

Marayna bit her lip, "I dunno any other spells to try."

"Didn't you tell me Morgana used water to…scry?" Arthur interrupted, seeing the siblings about to get into some sort of debate, "She saw…things, yes? Visions, in the water? If the water's supposed to show us the way…maybe it'll be like one of her visions?"

Merlin and Marayna stared at him.

"What?"

And stared.

"What is it?" he shifted.

And stared more.

"Stop it!" he shouted.

Marayna just launched herself at him and hugged, "Arthur you are a genius!"

He smiled at that, "Well," he shrugged, not at all arrogant…right.

Merlin turned and grabbed a small goblet that Hunith had left beside Mordred's cot and dumped the water out of it, quickly placing it on a rock in the corner, leaning over to gently pour the water into the cup. The three of them leaned over, Arthur glancing at Merlin and Marayna…because all he saw was water…but apparently that wasn't what they saw because, moments later, Marayna gasped.

"Freya?" Marayna breathed.

Arthur quickly stepped back, allowing the siblings closer to the goblet, sensing they were seeing something or speaking to some sort of vision that needed their focus.

"Rayna," the small vision of Freya's face smiled back at them from the water, "Merlin…I've missed you my friends."

"I'm sorry Freya," Merlin cut in, his thoughts turning to Morgana alone with Morgause in the castle once more, "But we don't have long."

Freya nodded, as though she understood what they were speaking of, "There is but one weapon that can slay something which is already dead."

The siblings glanced at each other, "A blade forged in Dragon's breath," they murmured to each other before turning back to the vision.

"That weapon lies at the bottom of the Lake of Avalon. Where you hid it."

The siblings fell silent at that, they knew what she meant by indicating the army was already dead. The Druids had warned them of the consequences of using the Cup the way the old Warlord had, that the moment the blood hit the cup, the army became a living dead, near enough to being already dead for the sword to work on them.

"You must come to the lake," Freya continued.

"Will you be able to give us the sword?" Marayna asked.

Freya nodded, "In your hands it has the power to save Albion and the Lady Morgana."

"Thank you," Merlin breathed.

Freya gave them one more nod before the vision faded.

Arthur looked between them, "Did you find what you needed to see?"

They nodded, "There's a weapon that can kill immortal soldiers," Marayna turned to him, "The sword we had made to face the Wraith, the Black Knight."

Arthur nodded, recalling that story, "But you said it was at the bottom of the lake of Avalon," he frowned, hoping he'd gotten that right, "From what you described…it's 20 leagues from here! We'll never reach it in time to get there and back before Morgause completely takes over or destroys Camelot!"

Merlin just smirked, "We have a way to get there in mere minutes."

Arthur eyed them, starting to shift uneasily at how they were both smirking, "Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this?"

Marayna just patted his shoulder as she passed, heading for the tent's entrance, "You're not going to like a lot of things we'll do," she warned him.

"But it gets the job done," Merlin smiled, the siblings stepping out as he rushed after them, now VERY sure he was NOT going to like this.

~8~

Morgana sat in her rooms, glancing back at two immortal guards standing inside the room, watching her. It unnerved her, they stood there, day and night, following her everywhere, never sleeping, always watching her. They turned their back when she had to bathe, she had to use her changing screen to dress, and she hardly ever slept soundly not just from nightmares and missing Merlin but because she felt their eyes on her.

She knew what was going on, Morgause was very cautious, she hardly ever let her speak to anyone but her, Uther only that one time. She'd been hoping to go to Leon, to break him and a few other knights out, help them escape, but Morgause knew her well enough to know she'd try it. She was sure Morgause could have used Leon to try and lead them right to Arthur…but she also knew that to do that would mean leading the woman right to the Druids protecting him as well and she couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to any of them.

So she was forced to sit there, in her room, until she was needed as the 'queen' wishing and hoping that Merlin and Marayna and Arthur would be coming soon.

~8~

Arthur had been VERY right in his assumption that he was NOT going to like what Merlin and Marayna had planned…especially when he'd found out it involved the Dragon, Kilgharrah, he forced himself to remember it was called. He'd actually been quite angry really when they'd requested he stay behind a tree and wait there, to not allow the Dragon to see him as they were sure he might still be wary of Pendragons and, despite being married to Marayna, they weren't sure how well the Dragon would react to him. He hadn't wanted to let his wife go see a Dragon alone, even with her brother beside her.

But when both siblings had threatened to freeze him with magic, like Merlin had done once before, he'd agreed to hold his tongue and stay behind the treeline. He didn't exactly know why they were so adamant that he see the Dragon in person, he'd seen it before…but then again it had been when it was attacking Camelot so that might be why, to see it in a new light, to see it talking and helping instead. So he'd been forced to stand there and watch them summon it, Merlin, his slim slip of a former-servant shouting out harsh words in a Draconian Tongue, revealing his Dragonlord talent.

The Dragon had landed, had come exactly when called and, with a few pokes and prods from the siblings had allowed them both on his back to go retrieve the sword they'd hidden away. And he'd just…hidden and remained where he was till they came back, instantly checking on his wife the moment the Dragon flew off, before looking at the sword Merlin had returned with. He'd left his post only once, when Lancelot had come to find him, bringing him to the Druid camp to introduce him to another man that had come to help, a Percival. The man was apparently a friend of Lancelot's and had immediately come when Lancelot had sent word to him that there was a danger to the kingdom. The man had been able to find the camp rather quickly though, Lancelot revealed the Druids had provided a small amulet that would lead Percival right to them that had been sent with the message.

He'd greeted Percival and immediately gone back to his hiding spot to await the siblings and their magical weapon that could kill the undead…he was starting to get a headache about all these magical items.

Now though, now that they had the weapon, now that they had a plan, there was only one thing left to do and, thankfully, the Druids had agreed to allow him the use of their altar. It…wasn't quite what he was used to…but this would be a new start, a blending of worlds, using the old with the new, and what he was about to do would certainly break more rules and codes than using an altar of the old religion as a ceremonial platform.

And so he stood on the edge of the altar, Marayna on his left, Merlin on his right, with Elyan, Gwaine, Percival, and Lancelot before him. Mordred was stood to the side with Hunith and Gaius, Gwen with them as the Elders of the Druids gathered on the opposite side, the rest of the camp surrounding them, ready to witness what they knew would be a momentous event.

"The Old Religion teaches that there must always be a balance," Arthur began, trying to recall as much as he could of what the siblings had told him, not wanting to offend the Druids, trying to incorporate at least a small part of a change in how things were done to involve them, "Life and death, man and woman, age and youth," he took a breath, "Their idea of balance, of unity, and of equality, reminds me of a table that belonged to the ancient kings of Camelot. A round table, one which afforded no one man more importance than any other. They believed in equality in all things, in balance. I wish to revive this tradition. Without each of you," he looked at the four men before him, "We would not be here. And without the help of those around us," he glanced at the camp, "I know I would not be here to see this happen. I wish for a new world, a world of equality, of unity, and of peace. In order to see this happen, and I WILL see this happen, my kingdom must be reclaimed, my father rescued. I set out tomorrow to do this," he looked at the four men, knowing he couldn't rightly ask the Druids, the second his father saw magic-users, he would have them all killed, no…this was something he had to do himself so he could enact the change he wished to see, "Will join me?"

Lancelot stepped forward, "You taught me the values of being a knight, the code by which a man should live his life. To fight with honor for justice, freedom, and all that's good. I believe in the world that you will build."

"Even though I was a commoner, a nobody, you were willing to lay down your life for me, Arthur," Elyan joined him, "It is now my turn to repay you and to repay the kindness these people have shown us," he gave a nod to the Druid Elders as well.

"I think we've no chance," Gwaine was as blunt as ever, "But I wouldn't miss it for the world. Especially," he gave a deep bow, "When my Queen is accompanying you, she must have her knights to protect her."

Marayna rolled her eyes and shook her head at that, the Bloodguard, even though that wasn't what he was talking about, were already at work within the castle's borders, keeping the peasants safe from the brutality of the immortal guards. They may not be able to kill them, but they could freeze them, they could try and erase their memories, they could cut off limbs well enough. Benedict had been rather stubborn to leave her once he'd found that she'd nearly been executed, but she was safe with the Druids. Many of the trinkets in the trees had come from the Bloodguard.

"Your enemies are my enemies," Percival nodded.

"What?" Merlin scoffed playfully, "Not going to ask us?"

Arthur rolled his eyes this time, "As though you'd leave Morgana there, that's ALL you've been talking about since I arrived, and Mara well…" he looked at her, "She'd slap me and kill me herself if I forbid her to come."

"As though you could forbid me to do anything," she smirked at him, "Remember my own guard Artie."

He let out a soft chuckle at that, actually respecting Benedict and the Bloodgaurd more for their efforts to keep her safe, before he turned back to the small group gathered before him, "I want to thank you all for staying loyal to me in Camelot's hour of need. I'll do something that my father won't approve of."

Marayna and Merlin smirked as they saw Arthur pull out his sword and ask them to kneel.

He stepped down the small steps to come before them, moving to Lancelot and tapping him on one shoulder than the next, "Arise, Sir Lancelot," he smiled, "Knight of Camelot," before he moved onto Gwaine, Percival, and Elyan as well, Gwen watching on with tears in her eyes to see Lancelot and Elyan being knighted, "Tomorrow, when you fight, you can stand proud knowing you are members of the most noble army the world has ever known."

'_With the most prattly prince the world has ever known as their leader,_' Marayna called to her brother, though he could tell she was proud of him for doing this, for taking this step out of Uther's shadow.

~8~

The small group of new-knights, Arthur, Merlin, and Marayna made their way to the border of the forest, looking at the castle the next day. Lancelot had remarked that Merlin should have been knighted with them, being the bravest of them all, but Merlin had just laughed and told him he had enough titles, he didn't need to be a knight as well…which had sparked curiosity in all those present besides Arthur and Marayna of just what their titles were. Elyan, for being raised in Camelot, was doing quite well accepting that Marayna and Merlin had magic, though they thought it was probably his travels to other kingdoms that allowed magic that had made him so. It was similar to Lancelot, Gwaine, and Percival as well, they had all left the borders of Camelot, had no ties binding them to it, hadn't been raised there and had seen a vast range of what magic could be used for. The Druid camp and how they'd helped them had only increased their tolerance and acceptance of magic.

Arthur was very grateful because having knights that knew and could accept it made him feel like he'd have an easier time as well. It was…hard to speak to Merlin or Marayna at times, or even Morgana and Gwen, about his thoughts on magic. He didn't want to feel like he was betraying them and…most of them were women. It would be good to have men he could talk to, men who knew about magic yet didn't have it themselves to try and help him understand and adapt.

It was a good omen, he was sure.

Now he was just hoping that it would be a sign that their plan would work as well. It seemed simple in planning, sneak into the castle, avoid the immortal knights, empty the Cup of Life to destroy the army. Without it and the threat on Camelot, Morgause and Cenred would be near powerless. Simple…yes…except that things never went quite that well…ever.

They were going to have to split up though. A group of 7 walking through the halls was bound to be noticed and there were more people in there that needed specific protection. It broke Arthur's heart and Marayna had had to slap him in the back of the head to get him to agree, but…Gwaine and Marayna were going to head after the cup (something about her being the High Priestess and Gwaine knowing his way around a cup…not that that helped calm Arthur's nerves), Arthur was going to seek out the king with Elyan and Percival, trusting the blacksmithery Elyan knew and Percival's strength to protect the king and help him escape as he focused on releasing the other knights, while Merlin and Lancelot went after Morgana to help get her out of Morgause's hold. Gwen and Gaius had remained back with the Druids, gathering supplies before they headed out to help tend to the wounded that were sure to appear as a result of this new plan. They didn't doubt Morgause would have Gaius's stock destroyed and the Druids were more than happy to offer their potions and bandages and help for all the protection Merlin and Marayna had given them in the camp from Uther's attacks.

They were going to use the tunnels under the northern ramparts to get to the dungeons and spread out from there. Arthur had ordered Marayna to take the magic sword with her, knowing that the cup would be the main target, the one they'd need to make sure, above all else, was dealt with first and she'd need the sword more than any of their group.

They stood there, just before the ramparts, about to split up, as Arthur looked at them all, "Good luck," he whispered, earning murmurs of 'Good Luck' as well before they all turned to head out on their tasks, "Mara," he called quietly, reaching out to take her arm, pulling her back, "I just want to say…if anything happens to me…"

Marayna cut him off with a kiss, "Nothing will," she told him, smiling, "You have too bright a future for it to end on this dark night," she gave him another kiss, "And you have too much to do before your time comes."

He smiled, kissing her one last time, "I shall see you again then."

She winked, "You'd better," before she rushed off with Gwaine, feeling Arthur's eyes on her until she disappeared around a corner.

'_Good luck Merlin,_' she called out to her brother, knowing he was desperate to get back to Morgana and hoping it wouldn't make him do anything foolish.

'_You as well,_' he replied, before they both focused on their tasks at hand.

~8~

Morgana spun around with a gasp, feeling a surge of magic on the other side of her door and ran for it, KNOWING what that magic was, knowing who it was…leaping at the person who threw the door open just as they stepped in, nearly sending Merlin crashing back against the wall as she kissed him hard, smiling into it when she felt his arms wrap around her waist, holding her closer than ever.

"I missed you," she whispered between kisses.

"Missed you too, Gana," he murmured.

She laughed, tears in her eyes to hear that name again, and started to pepper his face with kisses, "I. Love. You. So. Much," she told him after each peck.

Merlin laughed and put a hand to her cheek, guiding her lips back to his for another soulful, searing kiss…one that had Morgana breathless and flushing when she pulled away quite a few moments later to the clearing of a throat.

"My Lady," Lancelot gave her a slight bow, "I'm sorry to interrupt but…we must go help the others."

"Aya first," Merlin swallowed, remembering that. As much as he would LOVE to continue showing Morgana how much he missed her, his sister was in quite a bit of danger and now that Morgana was safe again, and in his arms, he needed to help his sister.

"She's gone after the Cup, hasn't she?" Morgana whispered, smiling when Merlin looked at her shocked, "My…nightmares came back," she told him, stepping closer to him, "I…I couldn't sleep well without you."

Lancelot's eyebrows rose a bit at that, but he said nothing.

"You saw us coming," Merlin smiled at her, understanding what she meant.

"I dreamed of you every night," she told him, "Even…before I remembered you. I…I loved you too much for my heart to let you be forgotten entirely."

Merlin let out a breath at that, "I love you too Morgana," he closed his eyes tightly though, "And, as much as I would love to show you how much…"

"Your sister needs you," Morgana nodded, "I understand, helping her will help my brother," she took his hand, "So let's go. I know where the Cup is."

Merlin nodded, squeezing her hand and they rushed off, Morgana in the lead.

~8~

Gwaine was oddly very stealthy despite his typical loud and obnoxious personality at times, he was the picture of silence as he and Marayna moved through the halls, Marayna throwing guards out of the way left and right, freezing them with magic, making Gwaine let out the lowest of whistles.

"On a warpath Ray?" he murmured to her.

"Someone trying to use MY title has taken an artifact under MY protection and is using it to attack MY kingdom Wen," she countered just as quietly, "Morgause had better run if she knows what's good for her."

Gwaine had to chuckle at that, she always was a firecracker, but he sobered up rather quickly when they reached a door that Marayna had felt drawn to, kicking it down and dodging out of the way as she threw her hands out, sending the guards within flying to the walls. As they stumbled to get up, Gwaine rushed at them, cutting them down with an odd sword Marayna had thrown him when they'd first split up, saying she preferred her magic to steel.

"Here!" he tossed her the sword, knowing she'd need it to knock the Cup of Life over, essentially cutting the magic off.

She caught it and had just turned to the cup, when she felt herself being blasted back, thrown into a wall by Morgause as she stormed in, the wards having alerted her to the presence of intruders.

"I have a feeling I won't be seeing you again," the blonde glared at her, lifting a hand with a fireball in it.

"Oferswinge!" someone shouted from behind her, Morgause spinning around only to see Merlin and Morgana behind her with another knight, Merlin's eyes glowing.

"Get away from my sister," Merlin glared.

Morgause just spat at him, pushing herself up, a spell on the tip of her tongue, when Morgana stepped forward, "Oferswinge!" Morgana threw out her hand, sending the woman flying back again, crashing into the wall with the same spell, sealing her fate and alliance with Camelot.

"Aya!" Merlin called, "The Cup!"

Marayna was already on her feet and quickly ran for the sword, grabbing it and swinging it at the Cup, knocking it over, all of them flinching when the guards in the room exploded, the spell ending.

"What have you done?!" a voice cried.

They looked over to see Cenred had entered, a mass of guards behind him exploding, leaving him defenseless against three magic-users and two sword-wielders. He looked around, his gaze landing on Morgause and ran over to her, hoping he might rouse her to help them both escape.

"Morgause!" he shook her, "Wake up! I command you to wake up! The plan has failed! Get us out of here! Now!"

Morgause's eyes snapped open, narrowing into slits at Cenred, "You dare order me?" she wheezed, reaching out to grab the front of his tunic, her eyes flashing gold.

Marayna's eyes widened as she saw a sort of split appear in the back of Cenred's head, the color starting to leave his face as it returned to Morgauses's and realized…the woman was doing the same thing SHE had done for Arthur so long ago, she was transferring the wound…but instead of taking Cenred's…she was GIVING Cenred her own, healing herself by forcing him to suffer.

Morgause turned to them, all of them aware her strength had returned, but knowing she wouldn't dare attack with the odds not in her favor.

"It's over Morgause," Morgana straightened.

"No sister," she spat, "It is only the beginning," she hissed, her eyes flashing gold once more as a whirlwind of dust and air surrounded her, transporting her away, the trio of magic-users looking at each other in concern, knowing that this truly was only the beginning of Morgause's retaliation.

~8~

Uther slowly woke to find himself lying in his bed, back in his chambers and, for a moment, wondered if everything he remembered was just a dream. He likely would have continued to think so if he'd not tried to move and found himself in pain.

"You ought to lie still," a voice said that had his eyes flying open and looking to the side where he could see Marayna standing beside Arthur, "If you die after we just risked our necks to save you…I think my husband will be quite cross."

Uther's eyes snapped to Arthur, the boy's jaw tense as he shook his head t him. His gaze travelled around the room, seeing Merlin was standing with Morgana, his arm around her shoulder as she looked at him with pity, Merlin stone-faced. The serving girl, Gwen, was there as well, beside Gaius who looked betrayed…

And he knew…they knew the truth, they remembered.

"I…" he tried to speak.

"Don't," Arthur cut in, his voice so hard and firm that Uther actually fell silent, "My wife, my brother-in-law, and my sister," he began, "Have magic,_ all_ of them," he put it right out there, "And they risked everything to save you and this kingdom tonight. And you…you were going to have the princess of Camelot, my WIFE, burned at the stake."

Uther would have flinched at Arthur's snap, at how his son was shaking, if her were made of lesser stuff, "I did as the laws demand."

"Then so must I," Arthur straightened, "King Uther, you have been found guilty of conspiring with Sorcerers, with commissioning magic to be used, thus breaking the laws of Camelot."

"How dare you!?" Uther shouted, struggling to get up.

"You broke the law father," Morgana's soft voice cut in, "The king may make the law, but he is NOT above it."

"I have looked past far too many instances of that," Arthur agreed, "And now…this cannot be overlooked."

"And how will you explain it to the people?" Uther spat, "They would never believe you. They don't even remember the sorcerers."

"Warlock," Merlin corrected, "I'm a Warlock, and my sister is a Witch. It's different than a sorcerer or sorceress, it means we were born like this, like Morgana was."

"My daughter is NOT a sorceress!" Uther snarled.

"I'm not," Morgana agreed, "I'm a Seer, I'm a Healer, I AM a _Witch_. I have magic, through no choice of my own."

"The point still stands," Arthur cut in, "You have broken the most rigid law of Camelot. The punishment to this law, is execution."

"You cannot be serious!" Uther glared, "I am the KING!"

"And I am the Prince, I am the Crown Prince and future King," Arthur cut in, "It is MY duty to uphold your laws as I have done in the past," he didn't dare mention he times he'd broken the laws himself, "King or not, the law calls for your execution at dawn."

"Arthur!"

"However," Arthur continued, "It is upon request by _my wife_," he squeezed Marayna's hand, "That I show you mercy."

It really wasn't, they all knew they couldn't kill the king without the people rising in revolt because they DIDN'T know who Marayna or Merlin were any longer. They just…they wanted to show Uther that not all magic-users were evil, that they were capable of mercy.

"Mercy?" he scoffed.

"Yes," Marayna nodded, "Something you refuse to show anyone else. And you call me and my kind heartless."

"How dare…"

"Father," Arthur cut in again, "You have broken the law, you must be punished for it for no man is above it. I offer you the choice here and now, execution…or a magical solution."

"Magic!?" Uther shouted, "Arthur have you lost your mind!? Magic is evil!"

"And yet YOU turned to it," Marayna rolled her eyes, "What does that make you?"

"Gaius has prepared a potion," Arthur reached out, taking a potion that Gaius handed him, "That has been enchanted by Mara and Merlin," he told his father, giving him a stern look to remain silent, "All it requires is a drop of your blood and it will be ready to be administered."

"It's poison," he glared at the two in question, seeming to conveniently forget his own daughter had just admitted to having magic as well.

"GAIUS made it," Merlin repeated, wondering just how blind the king could be. He'd USED magic…and yet still continued to spew hatred against it. Was he just THAT hypocritical…no, actually, yes he was.

"It will adapt the memory spell you had cast on everyone," Arthur continued, "Instead of forgetting a person, it will allow for an event to be erased."

"And what event would that be?" Uther glared at his son.

Arthur tried not to smile, seeing his father considering it, knowing that his father would have anyway, death or a potion, the king would NEVER give up his throne till he drew his last breath and it would NOT be through execution, "The execution you had planned for Mara," Arthur answered, "The entire day, from just after her execution when you cast the spell, to when you first discovered her apparent 'betrayal.'"

They were incredibly lucky that those events fell within 24 hours of each other, the encompassment of an 'event' as defined in the spell book Merlin and Marayna had immediately gone through. The Dragon had mentioned to Morgana that they could alter the spell Uther had cast on the kingdom, allowing it to be changed without having to kill the king to end it. If they succeeded, everyone would forget the announcement of Marayna's magic being discovered, forget the near-execution as well as hers and Merlin's escape. It would be like a day that never happened in their memories. Those who had been freed of the enchantment would still remember the events, the spell had already been broken on them, as would those the spell never touched in the first place, like Gwaine and Lancelot, but those still under it, like Gaius would only forget that one day and not the people in question.

Uther still had to take the potion though, being the vessel of the spell. HE would forget that day as well, the potion altering the spell only slightly so that what Uther forgot everyone forgot instead of what he remembered being the thing everyone else forgot. They needed that drop of blood to seal the potion and make it bound to him. Blood Magic was tricky, but necessary to alter this particular spell. It was designed to be something inside of him that was needed to alter something inside of him, his blood for his memories. It operated on intent as well, they intended for him to forget learning about their magic, they were mostly using the memory spell as a basis for that.

All they had to do once he forgot was give him a sort of fake memory that would help fill the gap and explain why Marayna and Merlin hadn't been there in the kingdom for the last two weeks. They just had to tell him a vague story and his mind would make up memories of its own to fit with the blank pieces. They had a story all lined up already though it was short and something they really would need to work on in the future as they used the excuse of going to gather herbs and visiting Gorlois' grave and riding to Ealdor far too much but those were the most believable, the ones Uther would be likely to accept in his blank memory. So they'd thought to tell him that Merlin and Marayna were visiting their mother again, to see how she was fully recovered from Marayna's last 'visit' that Arthur told the king about, but that the prince had received word from Hunith that neither of her children had arrived and he had gone out to find them. Arthur had only just returned with a rather worn Merlin and Marayna, claiming that he'd found them tied to a tree in a bandit camp and freed them, the three escaping before the bandits, who were on a small hunt for food, returned.

They were ready to tell him, they just needed to get Uther to take the potion.

"You drink this father," Arthur held it up to him, "Or I WILL see you executed."

"You would murder your father?" Uther looked at him, actually seeming shocked and realizing how serious Arthur was…even if it was an entire bluff.

"You would murder my wife?" Arthur countered, just as serious.

Uther looked at him for a long while, trying to gauge how serious his son was…only to see he was the most serious he'd ever been, "Give me the potion."

"I need to prick your finger first," Arthur tugged the potion back as Uther tried to grab it.

Uther's jaw tensed as he held out his hand, Arthur handing Marayna the potion to hold as he pulled out a small dagger, cutting his father's finger, neither man flinching as he turned his finger over, taking the opened potion bottle back and dropping a single drop of blood into it. He corked it once more, shook it slightly so he knew it was mixed, and held it out to his father.

Uther snatched the potion bottle and pulled the cork out, throwing his head back as he drank it all in one gulp…his world going black moments later.

~8~

"How's Uther?" Marayna asked as she turned down the blankets on hers and Arthur's bed that night. After Uther had taken the potion, Arthur had left the room, not having wanted to watch them feed his father a story to fill a gap in his memory that HE'D caused to be there…with magic. It was like a vicious cycle, magic kept interfering in his life and only magic could stop it.

But he had understood, Uther knowing about Merlin and Marayna and being king was going to lead to their death. The Kingdom not knowing who Marayna was would lead to so many issues with her being his wife. Gaius not knowing who his niece and nephew were was just heartbreaking. And Morgana would kill him if people started treating Merlin like a servant again.

It really was the safest way to deal with it all.

Arthur had come in a short while afterwards, once they were sure the potion had actually taken affect. They'd left Marayna in the room with him, Merlin staying with her, as the man awoke, and been relieved when Uther asked her how they were faring, that they'd not been hurt too badly in the bandit attack and thanking them for having pulled Arthur out of the kingdom to find them before the attack Morgause had launched. They'd left Arthur to speak to his father for a time, she and Merlin having something more to do with the magic sword. They'd taken it to a rock in the middle of the woods and, using magic, stabbed it into the stone until such a day came where Arthur would need it again, only they would be able to release the sword from it so it was safe from being used for foul purposes again, just as they'd promised Kilgharrah.

One thing that hadn't changed though, they'd realized when they'd returned, the entirety of Camelot now knew Morgana was Uther's daughter as they remembered her being forced to take the crown but resisting it.

Still, Morgana was fine with that. They'd managed to add a little bit to the original memory spell as well, to add Morgana to it. The intention of the Blood Magic was to keep Uther from remembering they had magic, her and Merlin, but when they'd learned Morgana had shown him her healing Magic, they'd added that too. The initial memory of him learning about her magic, and then seeing Merlin use magic as well, would sort of trickle down to the memory of Morgana's magic as it followed the same path of thought. Uther wouldn't have any idea she or Merlin or Morgana had magic if it worked, which it appeared it had.

"I don't know," Arthur sighed, "Morgause and her men…" he shook his head, "They were brutal towards him despite him being king. The invasion, seeing his throne taken from him, it has hit him hard."

"Arthur," she looked at him as she moved to get in bed, watching him finish blowing out the candles around the room, "I know you hate to think of it…but perhaps you should speak to your father about becoming Prince Regent? Or…some other sort of near-king position? If this happens again or if any of his wounds don't heal…"

"Who knows what the future will hold," he shrugged, cutting her off, not wanting to think about that, "I am just thankful he and you are well again."

She smiled, "I'm glad to be back," she reached out to him as he got in bed beside her.

"I'm glad I found you before the bandits could truly harm you," he reached out to her in return, touching her face.

She laughed at that, "Oh yes, _the bandits_," she joked.

"When I received word from Hunith Mara, my heart stopped," he continued, looking at her seriously, her smile starting to fade as she looked at him in alarm, "I thought I had lost you forever."

"But…you found me," she looked at him pointedly, trying to get him to speak of the Druids.

"Seeing you tied to the tree was the most agonizing and relieving moment," he smiled, stroking her cheek, "To see you tied up, but to see you alive and well…I feel as though I can breathe again now that you are safe once more."

Marayna looked at him, more stunned than upset, "Yeah…" she nodded, "Safe."

He smiled, leaning in to kiss her before he settled down, taking her with him, the two lying there with his arms around her. She could feel him and hear him slowly drifting off though she remained tense and wide awake as the horrible truth hit her.

Arthur didn't remember.

Just like Uther.

He remembered the event they'd told Uther about, his mind had already come up with images and memories to fill the gaps. The potion and the original memory spell were powerful and, if he'd still been under it, she would have completely expected this. She would KNOW that his mind would forget the Druid Camp, would forget going after the Cup of Life and Jarl and Morgana storming in and his 'engagement' to Gwen and everything between that and now as the new memories, the ones the adaptation to the spell would create. If he were still under it, to Arthur, he'd think just as the story went, that he'd let her and Merlin go visit Hunith, that she'd sent word they weren't there, that he'd gone and found them and, upon returning to Camelot found it in the throes of Morgause's invasion.

But that was IF he was still under the memory spell, but she KNEW he wasn't! So…why…

Her heart stopped and, if it hadn't been for Arthur's arms around her, she would have bolted up in bed as it hit her.

Blood Magic.

Blood Magic was more powerful than a simple memory charm or memory spell…

Arthur was Uther's blood.

Mind magic was already complicated and tricky and to add strength to that with a Blood Spell…and with Arthur being Uther's son…

She closed her eyes, she knew Morgana would be safe, they'd read that in the spell book, her magic would protect her but Arthur DIDN'T have that luxury.

And the worst part was…the Blood Magic was linked to the intent of the spell, making Uther forget that he'd discovered their magic. The Blood Magic was meant to make all those affected by it forget about learning of her magic and Merlin's and, by extension, Morgana's as well as they'd added that in to protect her…

Marayna closed her eyes, feeling tears well in them as she tried to calm down, the worst of it all hitting her…

Arthur had no idea she had magic anymore.

To be continued...in...Blazing!

A/N: Oh Marayna and Merlin...this is what you get when you meddle with magic you aren't ready or learned in :( I can say though that there won't be as long a wait for Arthur to learn of their magic again as there was in the main story. We'll actually get to it sooner than you might think, along with quite a few other surprises }:)

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and all the little twists and reunions, poor Mordred, for Arthur to be confronted with his father's brutality and cruelty :(

I wanted to say thank you guys so much, to anyone who read/reviewed/favorited/followed/anything the story :) You guys are just so amazing and I really feel truly touched that you have enjoyed the story so far :) Check back in about 6-7 hours for the start of Blazing ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Yup, we will see Merlin and Morgana get married in the very next story ;) Lol, sorry about the cliffhangers though, I can't promise they'll stop (as can be seen here) but you're right, at least it's not months in between postings ;)

I'm glad the stories are able to help you get through classes :) I'm really so happy that you've been enjoying the stories so far ^-^

Yup, Arthur and Marayna are back together ;) I don't like people trying to tear them apart either, I actually think there as more of trying to tear Arthur away from Gwen than there was from Marayna in the show, but that might just be my odd opinion of the show lol :) There were quite a few more moments to come of tearing Gwen from Arthur, Marayna's already married to him at least ;) Marayna will forgive him yup, because this time it was his own father betraying him and this was something beyond his control and he did fight to get back to her :) I can say there's only about 1 more true split up moment coming, but nothing as long as the end of this story and it'll affect more than just Arthur ;)

I've played Pokemon Snap :) Does that count? :) I used to watch Pokemon way back when it first started but I sort of lost interest a little while after the first movie came out :)

And a very Happy Birthday to Sydney! I hope you have a truly magical day ;)


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